As Long as I Have You
by hccstrd.haddock
Summary: A collection of Hiccstrid oneshots filled with nothing except happy, mindless fluff. Most rated K plus. Sorry, no M rated things here.
1. See You in the Morning

**_See You in the Morning_**

 **...**

 **RTTE Episode 3. SPOILER ALERT! This takes place during episode 3...because it's so obvious they slept beside each other on that beach. There's no denying it.**

 **...**

"It's all so beautiful," Astrid murmured. She was gazing at the waters before her, onto which the rising moon was reflecting a soft light.

"It is," agreed Hiccup. He cast a small grin at the blonde beside him. "And who knows what else we'll find out here, Astrid."

"I know. I can't wait." She smiled back. "It's been so long since we got to go on an adventure like this together. Too long. I've...I've missed it."

His grin grew wider. "Me, too."

Yawning, Astrid allowed her heavy eyelids to fall shut as she rested her cheek against Hiccup's shoulder. It had been years since she'd traveled the distance she'd traveled that day, and she was left feeling exhausted and sore.

The auburn-haired Viking bit his lip. A girl - a girl who just so happened to be his best friend - was learning on him. He wasn't used to this at all.

A soft, contented murmur escaped the blonde's mouth. He watched as she nuzzled deeper into the leather vest that was covering his shoulder. It wasn't like her to cuddle up to him - or anyone else - in this manner. Sure, they hugged on occasion, and there was that one instance a few years back when they had huddled together for warmth while trapped in an avalanche, but it wasn't typical for her to simply cuddle for no clear reason.

"Mmm."

"Alright, sleepyhead." Hiccup cautiously draped an arm across her shoulders. "I...I think we should go find our dragons and settle down for the night."

Astrid's eyes cracked open. "Huh?"

"We should go to our dragons and get some rest."

She lifted her head and, becoming aware of her surroundings, took note of her friend's arm around her. "Hiccup Haddock, who in the name of Thor gave you permission to touch me?" she scolded as she raised a fist to give him a playful punch.

"Oh, Astrid," he said. He caught her hand in his before she could make contact with his bicep.

The blonde's heart raced at the feeling of her fingers being intertwined with Hiccup's. His hand was warm, and the sensation of his calloused thumb caressing her skin made butterflies flutter in her stomach. "We...we should sleep right here tonight," she suggested. "I mean, it's beautiful, and we won't have to worry about waking up to Snotlout snoring."

"With...without our dragons?"

"I think we'll be fine. This seems like a peaceful place." Astrid squeezed his hand affectionately and pecked his freckled cheek before spreading herself onto the ground.

"Hey, who gave you permission to kiss me?" he asked as he settled in beside her. To his surprise, she simply let out a soft laugh and hugged his waist, her blue eyes connecting with his green ones. She was beautiful. No, she was downright _amazing._ So amazing that all he wanted to do was thoroughly kiss her cheeks, her forehead, her nose, her chin, her lips. But he knew he couldn't. What would she think of him if he just started attacking her face with kisses? She would think he was a pig. And that definitely wasn't the case. He liked her. He liked her more than he could ever use words to explain. But of course, she wouldn't know that if he simply began kissing her. So instead, he decided just to return her embrace for the time being.

"Hiccup?" Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, Astrid?"

"You're getting awfully close to my face."

Blushing, he realized that he'd subconsciously been inching closer to her. "I uh...I'm sorry."

"You want to kiss me, don't you?"

"I uh...I have no idea what you...what you're talking about."

"Hiccup, it's okay to kiss me. I've kissed you lots of times before. You don't have to be shy about it."

"It's just...I mean...well, could I?" By now, his face was as red as a tomato.

"Of course."

Closing his eyes, Hiccup leaned in to connect his lips with Astrid's. However, as he was doing so, their noses collided. "Uh...I...I'm sorry."

"You're such a dork," laughed Astrid. "Here, let me show you how it's done." Grabbing his chin, she pressed her mouth against his, the butterflies in her stomach fluttering harder at the familiar taste of his lips.

"Mmm, you're so much better at this than I am," he remarked when they pulled away from each other.

"Don't worry. You'll learn." She yawned before cuddling against Hiccup's chest. "Mind if you're my pillow tonight?"

"No. Not at all."

Astrid closed her eyes. Normally, she'd feel too uneasy and vulnerable sleeping out in the open without Stormfly's tail curled protectively around her. However, the sound of Hiccup's heartbeat, the comforting sensation of his arms circling her middle, and the fact that she knew he'd never allow any harm to come to her brought about a sense of safety.

"Alright. Well, goodnight. I...I'll see you in the morning." He reached up to stroke her hair. He'd never been close to Astrid in this way before, and Thor's hammer it was nice. Her slender body fit perfectly into his side, and the contended smile on her lips - the lips that had just touched his - made him grin. This was definitely something that he could grow accustomed to.

"See you in the morning," she echoed softly.


	2. Tunic

**_Tunic_**

 **...**

 **Hiccup gives Astrid one of his tunics:)**

 **Thanks to MissPitchPerfect25 for helping me out with both this oneshot and the previous one!**

 **...**

Biting her lip, Astrid rushed out the door of her hut. Huge drops of rain hit her, and her bare toes threatened to sink into the muddy ground with each step she took. However, she wasn't going to give up. She needed to get to her best friend.

"Hiccup!" she called as she skillfully climbed through his window. "Hiccup!"

"Astrid?" The auburn-haired Viking's eyes cracked open. "Why in the name of Thor are you -"

"Here in the middle of the night, I know," she finished. "It's for a good reason; I promise."

"Go on."

"There's a dragon rider. I looked out my window and saw him. And I know it was nobody in our group; the dragon wasn't like anything I'd ever seen before."

Sitting up, Hiccup quickly lit his bedside candle. The flame showed him the blonde's dripping, shivering figure. "Oh gods, you're soaked." After quickly fastening his metal leg, he jumped off his mattress and grabbed two thick, fluffy towels from a nearby shelf.

"The dragon wasn't like anything I've ever seen before," Astrid repeated. "It was hard to tell what exactly it looked like in the dark, but I think it sort of resembled an owl." She began to peel her nightgown from her skin.

Hiccup covered his eyes. "An owl?"

"Yes. I was gonna go take Stormfly to do some stalking, but the rider left too soon."

"Are you sure it wasn't Heather on Windshear? I mean, we _did_ tell her she could visit whenever she wants."

The blonde tossed her soggy garment aside, then started to struggle out of her wet undergarments. "It was not Heather and Windshear! I would've recognized them." A chill ran through her body. "Is there any way to start a fire in here?"

"Toothless," Hiccup prompted, the hand over his eyes still in place.

The Night Fury groaned. If being woken up by a late night visitor wasn't something to be irritated by, being prompted to start a fire when he'd rather be sleeping was.

"Come on, bud."

Knowing he had no choice, Toothless trudged over to the fire pit his rider had created at the back wall of the hut.

"But anyway, Hiccup, I know it wasn't Heather." Astrid dropped her underclothes on top of her nightgown. She then grabbed one of the towels her friend had provided.

"Wait...you said it looked like an owl?"

"Yes, I thought we've been over this." She undid her braid and began to squeeze water from her hair.

"I think I've seen that dragon in the Dragon Eye. It's called a Stormcutter. I remember that Fishlegs said it has the ability to navigate through storms, and is also extremely protective of its family."

Astrid grabbed a brush from Hiccup's bedside table. "So you're saying..."

"Don't go after it alone. If it has a good relationship with its rider and sees you as a threat, it could kill you." He paused. "Did you see what direction it flew off in?"

"North."

"Okay. The storm should be cleared by dawn. We'll leave then."

"Are you sure we shouldn't go now?"

"Astrid, we won't stand a chance against that dragon in this storm, even in a group. It would be safer to wait."

She didn't answer. Instead, she simply worked on brushing her knotted hair. Once she finished, she forced the rest of the water out of it, then patted her still-shivering body dry.

"Astrid? You still here?"

The blonde grabbed the second towel and quickly cocooned herself in it before making her way to the fire pit and sitting down. "Of course I'm still here. By the way, you can stop covering your eyes."

Hiccup moved his hand away from his face. "Are you warming up at all?"

"A little."

He grabbed the blanket from his bed, then walked over to her and tucked it around her slender frame. "You better stay here for the rest of the night. I wouldn't want you going back out and getting all soggy again." With a small smile, he settled in beside her.

Astrid stretched out her feet so that her icy toes were closer to the fire. "Do you happen to have some clothes for me to throw on?"

"Oh...of...of course." Silently cursing himself for not offering clothing to her sooner, Hiccup moved to the chest at the end of his bed and pulled out a green tunic. He was now taller than her - a fact that he was proud of - so his tunic would likely reach to her knees.

"Thanks." The blonde took the garment from him and let the blanket slip from her shoulders. She then tossed the tunic on before sliding her towel off from underneath.

"So, what do you say we get some rest before we have to go look for that Stormcutter?"

"Sounds good to me."

As Astrid stood and turned around, Hiccup struggled to keep his jaw closed. The tunic fell off her left shoulder, allowing the candlelight to illuminate the small freckles that stood there. Her hands were nearly hidden by the long sleeves, and the way the fabric hugged her hips reminded him that she was no longer a girl, but a young woman.

"Hiccup?" she prompted.

He shook his head as he sat down on his mattress. "Sorry. Let's just..."

Smiling, she crawled beneath the covers while he removed his metal leg. The two had enjoyed a few sleepovers during their time on Dragon's Edge, and every time had ended up sharing a bed. They were close enough that it wasn't awkward; in fact, it was quite comfortable to sleep beside a good friend.

"Do you mind blowing out the candle?" he asked with a yawn.

Astrid obliged before cuddling against Hiccup's side and pressing her still chilly toes into his one remaining ankle. She felt her cheeks grow warm as he wound a protective arm around her middle and leaned his head against her golden hair. He might have been thinking about the Stormcutter while he drifted off to sleep, but the dragon had completely left her head. All that was on her mind was how wonderful it felt to be snuggled up to a certain auburn-haired Viking.

...

Hiccup allowed Astrid to borrow his tunic. He almost had to, as she needed something to wear that wasn't rain-soaked for the walk back to her hut. But to her surprise, he told her that he didn't care if he ever got it back. She wasn't sure why he was so willing to give up a piece of his clothing, but she was delighted nonetheless.

After a long day of trying in vain to track down the Stormcutter with the other dragon riders, she took a warm bath in a hidden hot spring to soothe her aching muscles. Once she was finished, she toweled off and slipped Hiccup's tunic over her head. The smell of woods, fresh air, and Night Fury plasma blast hit her all at once.

 _His_ smell.

She loved it. Now, she could feel like he was with her as she settled into her bed. Her dreams were filled with the illusion that he was holding her while she slept. She could almost hear him mumble in his sleep, and feel him shift around beside her and subconsciously pull her closer. It wasn't as satisfying as actually lying under the covers with him, but it was a close second.

However, after laundry day, she found herself at his door with the tunic in her hand. It wasn't that she didn't want it anymore, it was just that there was a small problem.

"Hey, Astrid," Hiccup greeted.

"Hey." The blonde stepped inside and tossed the garment at him.

He looked confused. "Why...why are you giving this to me? I told you that you could keep it."

"You see, Haddock, I have a bit of an issue." She stepped closer to him. "When you told me I could have it, it uh..." Her cheeks reddened, and her eyes turned to the ground. How strange was her explanation going to sound?

"It what?"

"It erm...it smelled like you." By this point, her voice had dropped to a whisper. "But now it doesn't."

"It _smelled_ like me?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." She felt her face flush deeper. "It did. And I...I was wondering if you could wear it for a day or two so that it...so that it can uh...have your scent again."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "I...I can. But why do you erm...why do you want it to smell like me?"

"Do I really need to answer that?"

"Well, I um...I'd like to know."

Lifting her head, Astrid took a deep breath and wound her arms around her friend's neck. She then rose to her tiptoes and pressed a gentle kiss onto his lips. Words were never really something she was good at; she was better at expressing herself through actions. Fortunately, Hiccup had grown to understand this strange method of communication.

The young man's eyes momentarily widened in surprise at the sudden gesture before grinning and hugging her waist. As she tucked her head into his chest, he rested his chin atop her golden hair. "I'll sleep in it tonight," he promised eventually.

"Thanks." She lifted her face and brushed her lips against his a second time.

Hiccup brought a hand to the back of his head. A single kiss was one thing; however, two within fifteen minutes was an entirely different situation, and he wasn't quite sure how to react. "Uh..."

"I erm...I like kissing you." Astrid's cheeks tinted pink.

He gave a nervous laugh. "Yeah...um...I like it, too. Now, about the tunic..."

"What about it?" She folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"I'll wear it to bed tonight. After I take you for an evening flight on Toothless."


	3. Hiccup's Return

**_Hiccup's Return_**

 **...**

 **First off, this was inspired by a DeviantArt drawing by user Jenni41...specifically, the picture titled "Hiccstrid Hug for Axon." Basically, I saw it and made up a reason for them to share a hug during RTTE (since the picture looks like it's from that). I don't know Jenni41, but she's an awesome artist. If anyone does know her, please thank her for creating such a cute, inspiring drawing for me:)**

 **Secondly, I'd say this takes place after Part 1 of Season 3. I know we're gonna see this particular event in the future (well, one aspect of it), but this is just my personal take. It won't ever be canon, though, so don't look too deeply into it.**

 **...**

Astrid plopped down against a rock and sighed. Hiccup had left a week ago on a solo search for Dagur and his armada, and still had yet to return. She'd made him promise to be careful before heading out, but the fact that he hadn't showed up back at Dragon's Edge - even to re-supply - was worrying her.

"Hey Astrid, can you tell Ruffnut to get her own hut?" Tuffnut asked as he approached the blonde. "I don't think I can live with her and her smelly fish oil hair anymore." He wrinkled his nose.

Astrid set her lips in a firm line. "Well, you're gonna have to find a way," she snapped.

"Wow, someone's cranky," Tuffnut laughed.

Groaning, the blonde jumped to her feet and sprinted to her hut. She was done. Done with her friends' trivial problems and unnecessary comments. She had bigger things to worry about. Throwing herself onto her bed, she allowed the tears that had been bottled up inside of her for the past few days to flow from her eyes. She was a Viking. A Viking and a tough girl. She never cried. That is, except for the instance when she'd thought Hiccup was dead after the Red Death attack. And the time when Hiccup had ditched her to take Heather out for a ride on Toothless.

 _Hiccup._ That boy always seemed to open up a whole new side of her. An emotional, mushy side. An almost shameful side at which she wanted to cringe, but also couldn't get enough of.

Still moist-eyed, Astrid stepped over to the nearby window. Outside, she saw the twins headbutting one another, Snotlout and Fishlegs bickering about who-knows-what, and no sign of Hiccup. She knew that she needed to pull herself together and go be the leader she was supposed to be in her best friend's absence, but she just couldn't bring herself to do so.

...

Two days later, the blonde found herself sitting on her bed and sulking. Sunset had passed a long time ago, but she hadn't even bothered to change into her nightgown yet. After all, what was the point? She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep. She was far too worried for that.

 _Knock, knock._

Rolling her eyes, Astrid slipped off of her mattress and trudged over to the door. It was probably just one of the twins coming to complain; no one else would be visiting her at that hour. That is, nobody except for the young man who was soon revealed.

"Hiccup! You're okay!" she exclaimed as she engulfed the auburn-haired Viking in a tight embrace. He smelled like sweat and spoiled fish, and rugged stubble adorned his chin. However, Astrid didn't care. She was just grateful to have him back alive.

"Of course I am," Hiccup responded. Smiling weakly, he returned the hug. "I mean, I did get a few scrapes and bruises, but it's nothing serious."

"You know, I'm pretty sure your definition of 'nothing serious' is a lot different than mine." The girl gently pulled away from him. Upon analyzing his face, she noticed a gash in his forehead that was half-hidden by his hair.

"Astrid, it's nothing." The auburn-haired Viking scratched Toothless, who was standing beside him, on the head as he shied away from his friend's gaze. "It could've been a lot worse."

Astrid sighed. "Come on in. I'll clean it out and bandage it for you before it gets infected."

"I already cleaned it out."

"With what?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Water," he responded hesitantly.

"Water? That won't do anything. I swear to Thor, you're such a mutton-head sometimes."

Hiccup walked through the doorway, Toothless trailing behind him.

"Sit down." Astrid motioned to a chair by her fireplace. "I'll get my things."

He plopped into the offered seat and waited. When he saw the blonde returning with a rag, a bowl of ointment, and a bandage, he cringed. He knew this was going to hurt.

"Alright, let's see," she said. Pushing his blood-crusted hair out of his face, she dipped the rag into the bowl. "Come on, don't be a baby," she scoffed playfully as she noticed him wince.

"I'm not," he insisted.

Astrid applied the salve to Hiccup's wound. She noticed tears welling up in his eyes, and knew instantly that the sting of the medicine was stronger than usual. "You really should've cleaned this out right away. With something other than water."

"I didn't have any ointment with me."

"Well, bring some next time." She took the bandage and wrapped it around his head, fastening it securely over the gash. "Keep this on overnight. I'll check it in the morning. Are there any other injuries that I should know about?"

Sighing, he rolled up his right sleeve to reveal an angry red scrape on his forearm. A large, dark bruise was set beneath it.

"What kind of mess did you get yourself into?" asked Astrid. She started to rub ointment onto the scrape.

"Dagur's men attacked me," Hiccup explained. "They beat me with their fists, then got out swords and axes and threatened to kill me. They almost did, but Dagur happened to come in at just the right moment and stopped them. He said they weren't allowed to murder his little brother because Heather and I are all he has left."

"But I thought your dad said Heather isn't your sister, which would then mean that Dagur isn't your brother." She raised an eyebrow.

"I know he told me that, but Dagur seems pretty certain that we're both his family. Maybe my dad just didn't feel like explaining everything to me. Or maybe Dagur's either mistaken or more insane than I originally thought. I don't know. But I do have a feeling that _someone's_ hiding _something_ from me. I'm just not sure who it is or what he's hiding."

"Well, the whole situation does certainly seem off," she agreed.

"Yeah. I should probably look into it more sometime soon." Yawning, he pulled his sleeve back down over the bandage that Astrid had just fastened.

"Well, whatever you do, don't go after Dagur again without backup."

"Astrid, if you're thinking of coming with me next time -"

"That's exactly what I'm thinking," she interrupted.

Hiccup shook his head. "No. Dagur won't let anyone kill me, but I know for a fact that he won't care what happens to you."

"I can be careful."

"Yes, but...if anything...if anything would happen to you, I'd never forgive myself." He lifted his tunic to show Astrid a deep scratch on his side.

"Why? I can be responsible for myself." She helped him lift the garment over his head. It was then that she realized how thin he had grown in his absence. He'd always been on the smaller side, but now he was _too_ small. Too small to the point that his ribs were starting to jut out from his freckled skin.

"I'm aware of that, Astrid." Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck. "It's just...I don't know what I'd do without you."

She applied salve to his newly revealed injury, then grabbed another bandage. "Why, because there wouldn't be anyone to make sure your battle wounds are cleaned out properly?"

"Well, that and..." He chuckled nervously. "And the fact that I couldn't talk to you anymore...or...or hug you...or...yeah..."

"Hiccup," she prompted.

"Y-Yeah?"

She tied off the bandage. "Do you like me?"

He gulped. "Uh...um...I have a pretty bad bruise on my back, too." He turned around.

"I guess I'd better bandage that, too," Astrid decided upon eyeing the purple mark. "Just to help cushion it." She paused. "But seriously, do you like me?"

"Of...of course. You're my best friend. Why...why wouldn't I like you?"

She quickly wrapped the bruise. "You know what I mean, Hiccup."

The auburn-haired Viking twisted back around to face her. "Well, erm...do uh...do you...do you like me?"

With reddening cheeks, Astrid pushed her bangs out of her eyes. "Um...uh...yeah. I erm...I do."

"Really? Are...are you sure? Because you...you don't have to." He slipped his tunic back over his head.

"I...I know I don't, you dork. And you better believe me when I say that I wouldn't lie to you about this."

A huge grin sprawled across Hiccup's face. "In that case, then, I'll go ahead and admit that I uh...I like you, too." He rose to his feet - well, _foot_ \- and took a step closer to the blonde.

"Don't be shy, babe," Astrid said. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around him, taking care not to squeeze too tightly for fear of disturbing his injuries.

" _Babe_?" he repeated questioningly.

"Yes, _babe_. You like it?"

"I um...I could get used to it," he concluded. "Milady."


	4. Thunderstorm

_**Thunderstorm**_

 ** **...****

 **Sorry I've been away so long! I've been super busy. But here's a little bit of fluff for you guys. This chapter is dedicated to . She's a HTTYD fanfic writer who recently had to leave the site due to a terminal illness. I didn't know her well, but I thought it would be nice to dedicate a chapter to her:)**

 **...**

Astrid sighed as she lifted her wailing infant into her arms. Smoothing the baby's blonde hair - the hair that matched her own - she pressed her lips to his forehead. "Shh, Mama's here. Mama has you."

Little Finn's cries slowly diminished into whimpers.

"See? It's okay. It's only a little thunderstorm. It'll be over soon." She gently bounced the child. "I just hope Daddy's okay out there."

"Mama! Mama!"

The blonde opened the bedroom door to see her eldest toddling across the hall, tears streaming down his lightly freckled cheeks. "Come here, Stoick. Come to Mama."

Stoick hurried over to his mother and hugged her leg. "Mama! Mama!"

"It'll be done soon," she promised. Scooping the toddler up with one arm while keeping a grip on Finn with the other, Astrid carried her boys over to the double bed that stood in the middle of the room.

"Mama!" cried Stoick. He reached out a tiny hand to pull the covers to his chin, then snuggled into Astrid's side.

"You'll be okay," she promised, placing a kiss onto his head.

Ever since Astrid had found out that she was pregnant with Stoick, her world had turned upside-down. She'd transformed from a tough warrior always ready to fight in battle to a gentle mother whose days consisted of changing diapers, cutting fish into bite-sized pieces, and wiping away tears. Some women would call her unlucky, and try to insist that her children were preventing her from living life to the fullest. Five years ago, she would've agreed. But now, she considered herself blessed to have two babies - especially since they were _his_.

Becoming a wife was also something she never thought she'd do. And she'd surely never dreamt that she would become a wife to dorky, awkward Hiccup Haddock. Though as it so happened, they became friends. Friends eventually turned into best friends and best friends quickly developed into crushes. It took him a while to sum up enough courage to ask to be his girlfriend, but when he finally did, she readily accepted the offer. They only dated for ten months before he proposed. The marriage was supposed to take place three months later, but his father's sudden death pushed it back another two months.

They lost their virginity to one another on their wedding night. Now, Vikings weren't exactly moral people. Many brides were six months pregnant when they said their vows. Some already had a child or two toddling down the aisle behind them. But Hiccup and Astrid saw intimacy as something special, and decided that they wanted to wait until marriage to enjoy it.

Four months into their new journey as husband and wife, Astrid's cycles stopped. She began to feel bloated and slightly nauseous, and suddenly developed a strange craving for cod drowned in honey. Her breasts grew heavier, her hair became greasy, and acne broke out onto her face. She was most definitely expecting a little Haddock.

Only six months after baby Stoick - who was named after Hiccup's father - was born, Astrid found herself pregnant a second time. This pregnancy was rougher than the first. She often found herself too nauseous to eat even the mildest foods, and headaches were a regular occurrence. Her mother-in-law, Valka, came over daily to help with Stoick while Hiccup was working. Needless to say, it was a sigh of relief when tiny Finn finally entered the world.

Astrid smiled at her children. Finn was still fussing a bit, but he looked as if he'd drift off at any moment. Stoick was curled into her side, his little body bundled in covers and his thumb in his mouth. Satisfied, her mind wandered to Hiccup. Was he okay? Had he and his trusty Night Fury found shelter? Or was he lying unconscious somewhere?

As if on cue, the sound of the front door creaking open reached her ears. A few seconds later, he walked into the bedroom. "Stay out there, Toothless," he said to his dragon. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

The Night Fury let out a small grunt as his rider closed the door.

"What's this, a slumber party?" Hiccup chuckled at the sight of his wife and two sons cuddled up in bed.

"They were scared of the storm," explained Astrid. "And I was scared for you."

"Hey, I've been through worse than a thunderstorm." Grinning, he leaned in to kiss her lips.

"You're soaking wet, babe." She sighed. "And cold, too," she added as he hugged her waist. "Go get a warm bath. There's water heating by the fire. And if you're hungry, leftovers are on the kitchen table."

He hesitated.

"I'll still be here when you're done," she assured, her voice dropping to a whisper as she noticed that both her children had fallen asleep. "Go."

...

Hiccup returned with a full stomach, dripping hair, and a towel around his waist. The blonde's eyes quickly darted to his slender - yet toned - upper body. Winking, he cast her a smirk before pulling on a pair of leggings and climbing atop the mattress. After unfastening his metal leg, he settled beneath the covers.

"Can I see him?" he asked, nodding towards Finn.

Astrid nodded and passed the snoozing infant off to his father. A smile spread across her face while she watched her husband cuddle him against his chest.

"And how's my other son?" questioned Hiccup.

The blonde gestured to the sleeping form beside her. "I'm sorry, babe," she apologized softly.

"For what?"

"I would've jumped into the bath with you if the boys weren't with me. And we both know where that would've gone."

"Of course." He bent down to kiss her lips. "But it's okay. We'll have more chances."

"Mmm-hmm. Especially when the little ones are older."

"Are you implying that these guys are all you wanna have? Because I was hoping for at least one daughter."

"Not at all, babe. I'd love more. But I think we should try to wait a couple years."

Chuckling, Hiccup wound an arm around her waist. "And you used to call yourself a shield maiden."

"Hey, I'd still be one if it weren't for you. I think I like being a mom better, though."

"Excuse me?"

"And a wife, of course," she quickly added.

The room grew silent. The only noise that could be heard was the pitter-patter of raindrops hitting the roof. Astrid carefully leaned over Stoick to extinguish the bedside candle before curling back into her husband's side. It wasn't long before she sensed his breathing grow even as he fell asleep, baby Finn still snuggled against his chest.

A clap of thunder sounded, but no one stirred.


	5. More than Friends?

_**More than Friends?**_

 ** **...****

 **So...this fanfic is based on a request I got a while back. I forget what the exact request was, but I tried my best:) And sorry I haven't been updating regularly. I'm at a university away from home and I'm still adjusting to my new location, the new work load, etc. Not to mention, I have my own "Hiccup" now. Well, I'm not dating him, but we're friends and he's shy and super sweet. He insisted on walking me home the other night even though his apartment is just down the hall from mine and I was like "Awww." So yeah, he's a distraction from writing:) But enough with me...here's the story.**

 **...**

Hiccup stood beside Astrid and watched as Heather flew away from Dragon's Edge. Her decision to depart had been a sigh of relief for him - as she and drama seemed to come as a package - but he knew that Astrid didn't feel the same way.

Astrid and Heather were practically long-lost sisters. The only difference - besides their looks, of course - was that Astrid maintained a rational attitude, while Heather jumped on every possible chance she could to get back at those she disliked. Hiccup had thought Astrid had suffered from anger issues up until Heather had made her reappearance. Compared to her, Astrid was an angel - not like she hadn't already been one in his eyes. A tall, slender, blonde angel.

"I-I'm sorry," Hiccup stammered, turning to face Astrid. "I-I know you two got close."

To the young man's shock, his companion stepped closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. "Well, I still have you," she grinned.

Hiccup felt his cheeks grow red as his heart threatened to leap out of his chest. "I...uh...I..."

"You don't have to say anything," Astrid told him. "Just know that you're still my best friend. I mean, as great as Heather is, she sure isn't even close to being a cute dork like you." She instantly regretted her words.

He raised an eyebrow. "So...so what you told Heather in the woods the other day was true?"

"What? I...I don't know what you're talking about." Blushing, she pulled her arm away from him.

Hiccup froze. He knew there was no going back now. "I-In the woods the other day. You...you told her I was cute."

Astrid cringed. He'd overheard her conversation with Heather? "Well, I um...uh...it was just girl talk. I mean, all girls talk about their crushes with one another. It...it's nothing."

"Crush? As in...boys you like?"

She silently cursed herself and turned her eyes in the direction of the ground. "I...I guess so."

"In other words, you...you like me? I mean, like me, like me? In _that way_?"

"I...I've liked you for a while, Hiccup," she admitted. "I...I just never knew how to bring it up before, so I decided that I'd let our relationship stay in the friend zone until you got the hint that I had stronger feelings. But you never did. Or at least, you never tried asking me out."

The auburn-haired Viking rubbed the back of his neck. "I...I'm a muttonhead," he stammered as he thought back to all the times Astrid had practically thrown herself upon him. The random kisses that she'd given him as "rewards" when she was proud of him. The tight hugs she'd wrapped him in when she was either trying to comfort him or glad that he'd made it safely out of a dangerous situation. The times she'd waited up for him to return from a trip. And, more recently, the nights on Dragon's Edge during which she'd come to his hut and curled up beside him in bed.

"You are," Astrid agreed teasingly. "But I don't mind."

He gazed into her blue eyes, which always seemed to soften when she was around him. "I...I don't deserve you," he eventually concluded, turning his face away.

"Do you like me back?"

"What?"

"You heard me. Do you like me back?" She paused. "It's okay if you don't. I just..."

"I've liked you since...since I was thirteen," Hiccup admitted. "I...I remember telling Gobber about it, and he just laughed and said not to overthink it because all thirteen-year-old boys got crushes on girls. Though the problem with me having a crush on you was that the feeling never left." He struggled to regain eye contact with her. "In fact, it only got worse." Sighing, he looked away again.

"Same here." Astrid shook her head. "Well, I've only liked you since I was fifteen, but still..."

"Yeah."

"So..."

"So what?"

"What do you think we should do about this?"

"I...I don't know. You're the smart one. Erm...you tell me."

"I'm not gonna tell you," she responded. "I'm gonna _show_ you."

"Uh..."

Without another word, she wound her arms around his neck and slowly brought her lips to his.


	6. What Words Can't Say

**_What Words Can't Say_**

 ** _..._**

 **This isn't the best quality, but it's important to me because it's based off of a real life situation. And let me tell you, hugs from the guy you care about (and who cares about you) are the best:) Especially when he isn't good with words.**

 **...**

Astrid was angry.

No, she wasn't the kind of angry where she gave the silent treatment. She also wasn't the kind of angry where she could be satisfied by throwing her axe in the woods. She was the kind of angry where she knew that if she saw him, she'd explode.

The _him_ was Hiccup. Now, she and Hiccup were good friends. Best friends, actually. Best friends who maybe liked each other as more than just friends. _Maybe_.

But at that moment, she was questioning her feelings because of one little thing that'd happened. One little thing that had turned into something big. Bigger than it had needed to. Perhaps she was overreacting. Perhaps he needed a reality check. Or perhaps it was a bit of both. She didn't know. All she was certain of was that he'd be sorry if he crossed paths with her.

The problem was this. Astrid knew that Hiccup was the dragon expert on Berk. However, the comment he'd made to her the other day suggested that she was on the intelligence level of a mutton-head in regards to dragon training.

And she did _not_ appreciate that. At all.

She'd told him how she felt. However, he didn't believe that he was in the wrong. He was somehow convinced that he was superior than both herself and his other friends. And just because Stoick had named him not only "Dragon Master," but also the "Pride of Berk."

It was Thawfest all over again.

"Hey, Astrid."

The blonde turned to see _him_ standing behind her. "What?" she asked coldly. Her eyes were like ice, and her hands were clenched into two tight fists.

"Uh...I um..."

"You think you can just come in here and act like everything's okay?" Astrid spat.

He turned his gaze to the ground and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, this is _my_ Dragon Training Academy," he responded eventually.

"Listen. I don't know what's gotten into you, Hiccup, but I don't like it." She took a step towards him.

"Nothing's gotten into me."

"Woah, woah, woah. Hold up a second. First, you treat me like I'm some mutton-headed idiot. And now you have the guts to sit here and say that nothing's wrong with the way you're acting?"

"Because there _is_ nothing wrong, Astrid."

The blonde's eyes narrowed as she delivered a punch just below his shoulder.

"What was that for?" He rubbed the sore spot on his arm.

"What do you think it was for?" She let out a sigh. "You know, I thought you were different. But I guess not. I guess you're just as self-centered and cocky as every other guy I know. Maybe even more."

"Astrid, I -"

"Goodbye, Hiccup." With that, she twisted around, jumped atop Stormfly's back, and flew out of the Academy.

...

Since her encounter with Hiccup, Astrid hadn't been able to sleep well. Her mind was a whirlwind of guilt (for losing her temper with him) and disappointment at the fact that he was acting the way he was.

She didn't know why _she_ felt guilty, though. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that she liked him. A lot. Probably more than she should. After all, what reason did she have to crush on a guy who was acting like a jerk?

He was right. She _was_ a mutton-head. No girl in her right mind would want a potential boyfriend who didn't even care that something he'd said had hurt her.

But yet here she was, going to his house to apologize. For what? She wasn't exactly sure. All she knew was that it would make her feel better to do so.

"Hey," he greeted as he opened the door, allowing her to step inside. "What...what...what are you doing here?"

"I'm sorry, Hiccup." Astrid looked up at him, her eyes glazed with pain. "I...I shouldn't have treated you the way I did."

The auburn-haired Viking rubbed the back of his neck. "No, don't be sorry. I...I sorta think I deserved it."

She shook her head. "But two wrongs don't make a right. I didn't have to -"

"Listen, Astrid. You don't have anything to be sorry for. I do."

The blonde opened her mouth to speak. But before words could escape her lips, he was drawing her close to his chest. She knew he wasn't good with words; neither was she, for that matter. The difference between them was that she was slightly more generous with affection. He _rarely_ initiated anything. The fact that he was holding her close told her that his apology was sincere.

Letting out a contented murmur, she returned the embrace. She wasn't sure how long they remained in each other's arms. It might have been a couple minutes. It could've only been a few seconds. All she was certain of was that she felt safe, loved, and content. She felt that everything was okay again.

And most importantly, she felt that everything _would be_ okay for a very long time.


	7. Snoggletog Surprise

**_Snoggletog Surprise_**

 ** _..._**

 **I wanted to upload this for Christmas, but I've been busy. I think today is equally appropriate, though, because RTTE is coming back!**

 **...**

Snoggletog.

The Viking holiday on which the dragons fly back to Berk - after a well-deserved trip to a private island - with their newly hatched babies. It's always a fun time, but this year it was extra special. Not only was it the first Snoggletog that Astrid and I were spending as husband and wife (we married eleven months ago), we were also expecting a child of our own. She wasn't due for another three weeks, but I could only pray for her sake that Baby Haddock would come sooner rather than later.

We hadn't planned on adding a new family member this early into our marriage. If it were up to us, we would've waited. But you know, things happen when you're in love.

"I'm sorry about this, babe." Astrid looked at me with big blue eyes and leaned against the pillow behind her head. "You know, you should still go to the party at the Meade Hall."

"Nonsense. I'm not leaving my wife alone on our first Snoggletog together." I placed a hand on her lower back as I leaned in to kiss her lips. "Is this where it hurts?" I asked, running my thumb along her waistline.

"Yes." Astrid groaned and placed a palm atop her baby bump. "Remind me again why I decided that sex with you was a smart idea?"

"Because you couldn't resist this much raw Vikingness." I nuzzled her neck before placing a kiss there. "And besides, we're married. What good is marriage if it's not consummated?"

"I think we over-consummated ours," she responded.

"Nah." I shook my head and pressed my lips to Astrid's cheek. "Here, what do you say I give you your present now? Maybe that'll keep your mind off the pain." Before she could say anything, I climbed off our mattress and drew a box out from under the bed. "Here you go, milady. Open it."

I watched as she removed the box's lid and pulled out the new battle axe I'd made for her. "Oh my gods, this is amazing!" she exclaimed. "Did you make it yourself?" Her fingers skimmed the wooden handle.

"Yup. Just for you." I reached over to brush her messy bangs out of her eyes.

"Thank you, babe." Astrid started leaning in to kiss me, but abruptly stopped and placed a hand on her baby bump.

"You okay?"

She shook her head. "These cramps. I swear to Thor, if this child wasn't due for another three weeks, I'd think I was starting to go into labor." Placing the axe back into the box, she took a deep breath.

"Do you want me to get Mom?" Since our wedding, Astrid had started calling my mother "Mom." After all, she was now a mother to both of us in a way.

"I think I'm okay."

"You know, there's something else in that box."

Raising an eyebrow, Astrid reached in and pulled out a small booklet. "'Things I Love About You,'" she read off the front cover. "Oh, Hiccup." I saw her eyes moisten as she turned to the first page. "'Your eyes, your nose, your smile, all the tiny freckles on your face, your -'" She stopped reading and gave me a playful smack on the arm. Did I mention that I'd included a few naughty things in that book?

"I love you in all kinds of ways," I grinned. "One of them just happens to be inappropriate for children."

"You do know our baby can hear what we're saying." She sighed and turned to the next page, skipping over the suggestive things on the list. "'The way you sometimes talk in your sleep, the fact that you're not a typical housewife, your cuddles, the way you yell at me when I do something stupid, the fact that you braid my hair, the way you moan when I lick your -" She stopped again. "Oh, gods. I love you, but oh, gods."

"Love you too, milady." I kissed her forehead.

"Come on, give me a real kiss," Astrid chided. She pressed her lips to mine, then turned back to the booklet. But before she had the chance to read another word, she groaned and touched her swollen stomach. "This kid is gonna be the death of -" A look of horror crossed her face. "Hiccup. Go get Mom. The baby's coming."

"How...how do you know?" I asked. This couldn't be happening. Us? Parents? Now? There was no way.

"My water broke. Just go...get Mom. Now."

Without another word, I rushed out of the house and over to the Mead Hall. "Mom!" I screamed, flinging the door open.

Every Viking turned to face me.

"What's wrong, son?" Mom questioned. She hurried over to wrap me in her arms, just as any loving mother would probably do in this situation.

"Astrid...the baby...the baby's coming!"

...

My eyes opened at the sound of my mother's voice. "Hiccup," she was saying. "Come and meet your son."

 _Son?_ Oh gods, that couldn't be right. I couldn't really be a father, could I? And to a _son_? The last thing I could remember was Astrid telling me never to go near her again, followed by my head hitting the floor. And now I was a parent?

Swinging my legs off of the couch, which I'd somehow ended up on, I followed Mom into the master bedroom, where I saw an exhausted Astrid lying in bed with a small bundle cuddled against her bare chest.

"Well, look who finally decided to come meet his offspring," she smirked, pushing a strand of sweaty blonde hair from her eyes.

"Let's see this little miracle," I said, lowering myself onto the mattress.

"I'll go get some bath water ready for Astrid," Mom said. But I barely heard her. I was too mesmerized by the fact that my beautiful wife and I were parents.

"Hey, tiny one, what do you say you take a little break from eating and meet Daddy?" Astrid crooned. I watched while she pulled back a corner of the furs that made up the package in her arms to reveal a head covered in thin red hair. "Show him how you have his eyes."

The baby - _my son_ \- fussed as Astrid gently pried him from a swollen nipple and, to my surprise, held him out to me.

"Uh..."

"Take him," she urged.

I froze. He was so small, so delicate. How was I supposed to handle him without something going horribly wrong?

"What's wrong? You don't know how to hold a baby?" Before I could respond, she shook her head. "Oh my gods, you don't know how to hold a baby."

"I...uh..."

"Support his head with one arm and let his feet rest on the other." Without further warning, she gently shoved the bundle into my arms.

All nervousness left my body as I looked into my child's face. His eyes were green, like mine, and I recognized my slightly crooked mouth, but his nose and rounded face were all Astrid. It was then that tears began to flow down my cheeks, but I couldn't exactly figure out why.

"It's okay. I cried when I first held him, too," assured Astrid. "While you were passed out in the living room."

"He's just so perfect," I eventually managed. "Thank you. Thank you so much." I leaned in to kiss my wife - who was now also the mother of my son. "But...what are we gonna call him? He needs a name."

"He has one. Stoick Jarl Haddock. That also happened while you were passed out."

"Oh, Astrid." I kissed her again. "I love you. Both of you." I looked back into little Stoick's face. "This is the best Snoggletog ever. And it's your first one, too, bud." Grinning, I ran my thumb along the back of his chubby hand. He responded by increasing his quiet fusses to steady sobs. "What's wrong? What's Daddy doing that's making you unhappy?"

"He probably just wants to finish eating," Astrid said, reaching out her arms and pulling the newborn close to her chest once more. His cries quieted as she helped him latch onto her nipple.

"Yeah, I know," I chuckled softly. "Mama's breasts are something special. Believe me, Daddy understands."

"Hiccup!" Elbowing my side, Astrid cast me a cold glare.

"Sorry, milady. It's just...I love you." Nuzzling the side of her face, I gave her a sloppy kiss on the cheek.

"I love you, too, but after spending five hours in labor, sex is the last thing on my mind."

A grin spread across my lips as I watched the newborn curl his tiny fingers together and, with a small whimper, pull away from Astrid's chest. He was _our baby_. We were _parents_. And all this had happened just because we're in love.

Snoggletog was definitely untraditional this year. Though as you know, I'm an untraditional kind of Viking. I've always been. I befriended a dragon, I married for love rather than to form an alliance, and now I just became a father on Snoggletog. But it was the best Snoggletog of my life.

It was the year that I gave my wife a pretty great gift. And she outdid me - like always - and gave me a better one.


	8. Newlyweds

**_Newlyweds_**

 ** _..._**

 **This oneshot is rated T for the mention of the events of Hiccstrid's wedding night. I also included Astrid's mother as well as Valka now that we know Astrid has family:) I think her and Hiccup are both the babies of their families. And also, please don't leave RTTE spoilers in the reviews. I haven't quite finished the new season yet.**

 **...**

Astrid opened her eyes to find herself cuddled against Hiccup's chest, bare skin against bare skin. Blushing, she pulled the furs to her chin before examining the ring on her left hand. As she did so, memories of the previous day (and night) flooded her mind. The wedding had consisted of a brief ceremony in the morning, followed by hours of feasting and dancing. When sunset came, the few Vikings who were sober had escorted Hiccup and Astrid to the Haddock house, where they'd watched them enter the master bedroom and close the door behind them before leaving the two newlyweds in peace.

The events that'd happened behind the door were awkward. Astrid had heard that a bride's wedding night was the most romantic and satisfying thing that could happen to her. But as she soon discovered, it was uncomfortable and slightly embarrassing. It'd taken a lot of coaxing and gentle kisses from Hiccup to make her feel somewhat at ease with shedding her clothes. After they had finished undressing each other, they'd begun to timidly explore one another's bodies. And lastly, after hesitant foreplay, there was the painful process of sex itself.

"'Morning, milady," Hiccup said in a groggy voice.

"Hey, babe." Biting her lip, Astrid shyly brushed his hair out of his eyes. She'd spent the night with him on several occasions before, but all the previous times, they'd simply cuddled. Now, they were waking up naked together after consummating their marriage.

"You okay?"

"Last night was awkward." She turned away from his gaze.

"I know, but we'll get better at it." Grinning, he kissed her hair. "Are you sore?"

"Uh..."

"Be honest with me, Ast."

She nodded.

"I'm sorry." Hiccup hugged her waist.

"It's not your fault. You were as gentle as you could've been. It's just bound to hurt the first time, I guess." She used her thumb to draw circles on his chest. "But I'm glad we did it."

"So am I." Letting out a contented sigh, he rested his head on top of hers.

"You know, we should probably get ready to go to the Mead Hall," the blonde eventually said. The morning gift ceremony, a traditional part of Viking weddings, was scheduled to take place shortly.

"Can't we just skip it?"

"Seeing that we're the newlyweds, I don't think that's an option." She wriggled out of his arms and, clasping the covers to her chest, sat up. "Could you...could you close your eyes while I find some clothes to throw on?"

"For Thor's sake, Astrid, you're a goddess. I don't know what there is to be shy about." Propping himself up against his pillow, he reached over to rub her back, then leaned in to kiss her bare shoulder. "But if it makes you feel better, I won't look."

A light blush spread across her cheeks. "Sorry, babe. I...I..."

"Don't be sorry. It's gonna take you a little while to adjust to this whole um... _sex_ thing. It'll take me a little while, too, but we'll catch on eventually." He nuzzled her neck. "Now, go get dressed. I'll be in the washroom if you need me."

"Erm...actually, now that you mention it, I think maybe uh...maybe we should practice adjusting now. You know, so we can get through the awkward stage faster."

"What about the morning gift ceremony?"

"I think everyone cares more about me producing you an heir," smirked Astrid. Turning around, she gently guided her husband into a reclining position and - settling down on top of him - connected her lips to his.

...

"Hiccup? Astrid?" Valka called as she entered the house. She'd just returned from the Mead Hall, where the entire village was waiting to see the morning gift ceremony.

No response came.

"Hiccup! Astrid!"

This time, the Viking woman was answered by Toothless, who stepped into the room and, smiling, gave her hand a friendly nudge. It was clear that he'd been neglected ever since his rider had gone to bed with Astrid.

"Why, hello to you too, love." She bent down to scratch the Night Fury on the head. "Where's Hiccup? Is he ignoring you?"

Toothless tilted his head and gestured with his tail to the slightly ajar door down the hall.

"Son?" Valka made her way over to the indicated door and, pushing it open a bit more, peeked around the corner. She was met with the sight of the newlyweds tangled in each other's limbs, Astrid nestled against Hiccup's chest and Hiccup's nose buried into her hair. The furs thankfully covered their bare bodies in just the right places.

"Did you find them?" a voice asked. It was Freya, who was just as concerned with finding her daughter and new son-in-law as Valka was.

Valka closed the door. "They're still enjoying consummation," she announced quietly. "And seeing that they both held off on making love until their wedding night, I think they deserve the extra time together."

"I suppose. Just so long as they don't conceive." Freya shook her head. "I'm too young for grandbabies."


	9. Barren

**_Barren_**

 ** _..._**

 **I apologize that this is depressing. I'm having a hard time because I thought my guy friend liked me this whole time but I think he found a girl he likes more...we haven't even talked in a week and I've been really upset and my crappy mood is unfortunately coming out in my writing. I hate feelings. But anyway, hope you enjoy:)**

 **...**

Astrid leaned against her pillow, eyes watery and knees drawn to her chest. She should've seen this coming. No woman on Berk had been married four years without either having a baby or experiencing a failed pregnancy. That is, unless she was actively making an effort not to conceive. But Astrid hadn't made it a point to avoid producing offspring. She and Hiccup both wanted a baby, and had been trying for one since their second wedding anniversary. Not to mention, there'd been many times prior to that date that, biologically, she should've ended up pregnant.

But hearing the official diagnosis from the island's healer had made the situation worse.

"Ast?"

The blonde raised her head and, seeing her husband in the doorway, gave a slight nod of acknowledgement.

"Things didn't go so well at the healer's, did they?" Hiccup asked as he climbed onto the bed.

Astrid opened her mouth. But before she could speak, tears began to flood down her face. In an instant, she was wrapped in the young chief's tight embrace, her face buried into his shoulder.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll always love you," he said eventually.

"Even...even if...if I can't give you an heir? Or a daughter? Hiccup, I know you want a...a baby girl more than anything."

He shook his head. "Yes, it's a little disappointing that we can't have any babies, but that's not your fault. And I'm not gonna leave you because of it. We're gonna get through this together."

"But...but you're the chief. You know that when a chief marries a barren wife, he's...he's expected to...to either marry another woman or...or...find a mistress."

"And since when did I follow the rules?" Grinning, Hiccup pressed a kiss into Astrid's hair.

"But -"

"I'll appoint a successor."

"Hiccup."

"It's gonna be okay, milady. And just think, as amazing as it would be to have kids, there's good things about it just being us. We can get on our dragons and fly wherever we want, whenever we want - just as long as I have someone to cover my chiefing duties. We can sleep in on the weekends, we don't have to constantly clean up messes, and we can walk around the house half-naked."

The blonde sighed. "I'd gladly give up eating breakfast in my underwear if it meant that I could have babies."

"Hey, that's my favorite part of the morning."

Quietness flooded the room. For the longest time, the young couple simply sat there in each other's arms. It seemed like an eternity before Hiccup's voice cut into the silence.

"Ast?"

Astrid sniffled as she raised her head to look her husband in the eye. "Yeah, babe?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."


	10. Quality Time

**_Quality Time_**

 ** _..._**

 **I'm so excited I get to post on Leap Day (at least it's still Leap Day in my time zone)! This is just some fluff that I wrote to try to get in a better mood since life is being crap to me right now. Girls,** ** _never_** **form an emotional connection with a guy friend unless you're 100% certain you're gonna start dating within a month. It hurts like nothing else when you have to watch him fall for someone else (and decide to move away on top of that). So yeah...don't do it.**

 **...**

"Want some company, babe?"

Hiccup pushed his dripping hair out of his eyes and turned to see Astrid standing in the doorway of the washroom, clothed in her favorite robe. "Your company is always welcome in the bath," he smirked.

The blonde shook her head as she closed the door behind her and began undoing her braid. Although they'd been married for four years, her husband still managed to find ways to flirt with her.

"The kids are asleep, I'm assuming?" asked Hiccup.

Astrid shed her robe and climbed over the side of the tub. "Well, Stoick and Finn are. This one's being a little rebel right now." Sitting down, she placed a hand on her small baby bump.

"Well, look who her mother is." Although they had no way of telling the gender of the unborn child, Hiccup assumed - or rather hoped - that it was a girl.

"Hey, I'm not the one who insisted on making peace with the dragons."

"That was years ago. I've changed."

"Yeah, right," mumbled Astrid. She grabbed the bar of soap that was floating in the sudsy water. After lathering her hands, she moved closer to her husband. "Turn around. I'll wash your back for you if you wash mine."

Hiccup grinned and shifted so that he was facing away from her. "We haven't had a bath together in forever."

"I know. We need to try to do this more often."

"It's hard with the kids, though."

"Yeah." Sighing, the blonde placed her hands onto his back.

The couple grew silent. For a few short minutes, all that could be heard were gentle splashes, accompanied by soft moans as the two found each other's lips and locked them together.

"I love you, milady." Grinning, Hiccup gently caressed his wife's cheek before pecking her freckled nose.

"Love you more, babe." Astrid's gaze met his, her eyes brimming with affection.

He shook his head and, grabbing the bar of soap, motioned for her to turn around. "I don't know about that." Kissing her neck, he gathered her golden locks and draped them over her shoulder. "You need to start wearing your hair down."

"You always say that."

"Because it's beautiful."

"It's not very practical for riding dragons. Or being a mother to two toddlers."

"I guess you're right." Hiccup began to rub suds onto her back.

"Mmm." After her husband was finished his task, Astrid let out a contented sigh and leaned against his chest. A smile spread across her face as he wrapped his arms around her, one hand resting on her growing stomach and the other intertwining their fingers together.

"You're right. We really need to do this more often," he said after a long spell of silence.

She leaned back and looked up at him. "No kidding."

"Wow, someone's being sassy today."

Astrid responded with a playful eye roll.

"Is the baby moving?" Hiccup asked, feeling a fluttering movement beneath his palm.

The blonde nodded. "Yup. I told you, she won't go to sleep."

"Oh, so you agree with me that we're having a girl?"

"I have a feeling she's a girl, but we won't know for sure until she's born."

Silence fell over the room.

"I think we should get out before we fall asleep in here," Astrid suggested eventually. Her words were followed by a yawn.

" _I'll_ get out," corrected Hiccup. "You stay in the tub while I warm a towel by the fire for you. I know you always shiver when you come out of the bath."

She smiled. "Aww. Thanks, babe."

"You're most welcome, milady." He reached over the side of the tub to grab his metal leg. After fastening it, he climbed out of the water and secured a towel around his waist. Grabbing a second towel, he made his way into the living room and placed it by the fire.

Astrid continued to wash herself. By the time she was finished, Hiccup was walking through the door with her towel in his hand. Holding it open for her, he said, "Here you go."

Sighing, she rose to her feet and stepped out of the tub. Immediately, she found herself cocooned in both the warm towel and her husband's arms.

"Shall we go to bed?" he asked, carefully tossing her over his shoulder.

"Sounds like a plan."


	11. Newlyweds (Modern AU)

**Newlyweds (Modern AU)**

 **…**

 **Rated T/maybe low M. I usually don't do these things anymore but I suddenly had the idea to write newlywed Hiccstrid in modern AU and it's highly unlikely they'd not think about certain activities, especially since they waited to do said activities until their wedding night.**

 **…**

Astrid reached down to grab Hiccup's t-shirt off of the floor. Pulling it on, she climbed out of bed and made her way over to the nearby dresser. After slipping on a pair of panties and brushing her disheveled hair, she headed into the kitchen.

"Hey, Toothless," she greeted as a large black cat approached her. "How are you this morning?"

The animal meowed and rubbed the side of his face against the blonde's leg.

"Did Hiccup feed you before he left for work?"

Toothless let out another meow and walked over to his half-empty food bowl.

"Oh, I think he fed you. You just ate too fast." Astrid shook her head as she opened the pantry and grabbed a box of cereal. It felt weird eating without Hiccup. During their honeymoon, they'd gotten up at the same time and eaten together. The first few days after they'd arrived at their new apartment, they both had needed to be up early for either work or school, and so they'd kept the routine of having breakfast in each other's company. But today was Astrid's day off, and she wasn't exactly enjoying being home without her husband.

She'd woken up naked that morning without his equally bare body pressed against hers. There hadn't been any good morning kisses, nor sleepy conversations, nor cuddling. There hadn't been any playful smirks whilst they searched for clothes to throw on. And now, Hiccup most definitely wasn't sneaking up behind her to place a hand on her partially-covered butt and kiss her neck.

She sighed and plopped onto the couch, her bowl of cereal in her hands. Reaching for the remote control, she turned on the TV and opened Netflix. Usually, he would be tugging his shirt over her head at this point, convincing her that they needed to be "even." To this, she'd respond with a playful eye roll. His arm would go around her and they both would sit there – Astrid in nothing except panties and Hiccup in only boxers – and eat. They'd then ditch their underwear and have a quick round of love-making before jumping in the shower and scrambling to make themselves look presentable for the day.

This wasn't a typical morning for most couples. But Hiccup and Astrid were different. They were in their junior year of college, and they'd just married. Their parents had tried to talk them into waiting until graduation, but neither of them would hear of it. And seeing that they didn't do anything that involved removing clothes until their wedding night, their physical desire for one another was strong. After all, they were only twenty, and intimacy was new and exciting to them.

Astrid ate her breakfast, then found her laptop and turned it on. She didn't feel like doing homework, but she knew that she didn't have much of a choice. Besides, she didn't have anything more important to do since her beloved husband was gone.

Curling her bare feet beneath her, she grabbed her phone. She immediately noticed that there was an unread message from the young man who was currently (and always) occupying her mind.

Hey, I get out at 5. Be ready when I get home. We're going to dinner.

Grinning, she responded with, Sounds good, babe! What should I wear?

Jeans are fine. We're not going anywhere too fancy.

Okay, hun. See you when you get here! Love you 3

Love you more, milady. 3

A smile was still present on Astrid's face as she began her homework. The fact that Hiccup was still taking her on random little dates - despite the fact that he'd already won her heart - was adorable.

Everyone had told her things would change after they got married. They'd said he would stop buying her little gifts, giving her complements, and all sorts of other things. But that was proving to be a lie. So far, nothing had changed except for the rings on their fingers, waking up beside each other every morning, and the fact that they'd started having sex. And being able to enjoy all that – plus everything their relationship had been prior to their vows – was a pretty good deal in her eyes.

…

"Hey, Ast."

Astrid turned to see her husband walking towards her, a bouquet of roses in his hand. "You're early," she remarked.

"Yeah. It was slow, so they let me out before my shift was over." Hiccup handed her the flowers. "For you, milady."

"Aww, why do you have to be so sweet?"

"I try my best," he answered with a grin.

After burying her nose in the bouquet, she placed it down beside her and stood up to wind her arms around the young man's neck.

"I missed you, too." Grinning, Hiccup hugged her waist. "What did you do without me today?"

"Netflix. Homework." Astrid shrugged. "Not much." She leaned up to kiss his lips. "How was work?"

"It was okay. It would've been better if I had a certain blonde there with me." One of his hands crept down to give her a loving pat on the butt.

"Well, I suppose I can't be with you all the time."

"Why not?" He slipped a set of fingers beneath her – or rather his – shirt, and allowed his thumb to caress her hip.

"Because."

"Because why?" He dipped a finger into the hem of her panties.

Suddenly, Astrid had an idea. She backed away from Hiccup, a smirk playing on her lips.

"What are you -"

"I gotta shower and get myself ready for dinner." She walked over to the bathroom. Before going in, she tugged her husband's t-shirt over her head and tossed it to him. "There's your shirt back, by the way."

"Hey, I gotta shower, too."

"Wait your turn, babe." Sticking her tongue out, Astrid stepped through the doorway, locking the door behind her.

"But -"

"I don't wanna hear it, Haddock."

"This isn't fair!"

"You waited two years, you can wait a few hours." And with that, she started the water, leaving poor Hiccup standing in the living room with wide eyes and jeans that were suddenly a bit too tight.


	12. The Beginning of Something

**_The Beginning of Something_**

 ** _..._**

 **This goes along with my last modern AU, but takes place before:) As much as I hate when guys give me emotional pain, it makes me want to write, which is good because then I update more!**

 **...**

"I can't believe you're actually about to go out with _Hiccup_ ," Ruffnut said. "I mean, you could do so much better."

Astrid bit her lip as she turned to face her roommate. "He's not that bad. Just a little awkward. And besides, he's kinda cute." She ran a brush through her long, blonde locks. "What do you think? Should I leave my hair down?"

"I don't think he cares what you do with your hair. He's just gonna be glad to be going on a date." Ruffnut laughed.

"Oh, come on, Ruff." Groaning, Astrid pulled on a baby blue winter hat. After throwing on a matching coat, she slipped her feet into a pair of Uggs. It was January in New York City; bundling up was necessary, especially since she had no clue what sorts of activities Hiccup had planned for the night. The only thing she could be certain of was that, knowing how creative he was, this probably wasn't going to be the typical dinner-and-a-movie date.

 _Knock, knock_.

"Come in!" Astrid called.

The door opened, revealing an auburn-haired boy with a bouquet of roses in his right hand. "Hey, Astrid. I uh...these are for you." He held out the flowers.

"Aww, Hiccup." Taking the bouquet, the blonde buried her freckled nose into the petals, taking in their sweet scent. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." He watched as she made room for them on her cluttered desk. "You uh...you ready to go, then?"

"Ready," she confirmed.

"Bye," Ruffnut called as her roommate followed Hiccup out the door. "Have fun. But not too much fun. If you get what I'm saying."

"Be quiet, Ruff," Astrid shouted in response. She then turned to her date. "So, where are we going?"

The auburn-haired boy gave her a crooked grin. "You'll see."

She smiled back as she purposefully bumped her hand into his.

"Sorry," Hiccup apologized, nodding towards the elevator that would lead them out of the New York University dorms.

"Oh, no. That was all me." Biting her lip, Astrid twisted a piece of her hair around her finger. She was going on a date with _Hiccup,_ the guy she'd liked ever since she met him at a fraternity party the second week of school. He hadn't been drinking and trying to pick up girls like all the other guys there. Instead, he'd been sitting alone in the corner with his phone in his hands, looking as if he wished he were somewhere else.

She'd started talking to him because Fishlegs, who was Ruffnut's friend-slash-crush and Hiccup's roommate, had introduced them to one another. The conversation had been awkward at first, but as soon as they'd discovered that they were both from the island of Berk, they'd quickly bonded. Though now that they were on a date, the initial strangeness was back.

"You first." Hiccup allowed her to step into the open elevator before entering himself and pressing the button for the ground floor.

The ride down was awkwardly silent, but in a good, heart-racing-and-butterflies-in-your-stomach way. The two stole glances at one another with blushing cheeks, and she brushed her hand against his again, inwardly shouting at him to just hold it.

"It's hard to believe we're only a few months away from being sophomores," he said as they stepped out onto the first floor.

"Yeah," sighed Astrid. "It's been a long year so far, though. You know, getting used to being away from home and all."

"I agree."

The couple walked through the door, only to be met with cold wind and snow flurries.

"You warm enough?" he asked, noticing that the blonde was beginning to shiver.

"I'll be fine." The blonde shrugged and pulled a pair of gloves from her coat pocket. "So, where are we going?"

...

Hiccup and Astrid were seated in a booth, a half-eaten pizza on the table and hot mugs of cappuccino in their hands. Shy smiles played on both of their faces.

"You having fun?" he asked.

She nodded. "I am. It's been awesome so far."

"I'm glad." The auburn-haired boy brought his green eyes to her blue ones. "So, you wanna uh...go for a walk after this?"

"In the cold? Hiccup, you're insane."

"I'm sorry. I just -"

"No, don't apologize. I love that you're crazy. It's erm...it's cute."

His cheeks turned red. "Aww, uh...thanks, Astrid."

The pair finished their cappuccinos and left the restaurant. The snow was beginning to fall a bit more heavily, and the chill in the wind was becoming more apparent.

"Maybe we should just go back to the dorms," Hiccup suggested. "I don't want you to uh...freeze to death."

"No, this is beautiful," Astrid said. She smiled at her date and allowed her hand to graze his. "Just..."

"Just what?" The auburn-haired boy raised an eyebrow.

"Hold my hand, you dork." She playfully elbowed him.

He blushed. "Are you...are you sure?"

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want you to."

Hiccup cautiously linked his fingers with hers. "Is that...is that good?"

"Perfect. Now, where are we going?"

"I have an idea." Grinning, he led Astrid down the sidewalk and into Washington Square Park, where they were met with the sight of grass that was covered with a thin layer of snow, icicles forming on the bare tree branches, and moonlight shining onto the peaceful scene.

"Wow, Hiccup," she breathed. "It's gorgeous."

"You've never been here at night before?"

"You have?"

"Yeah. It's uh...it's sorta my special place. I come here when I need to erm...get away from things for a while. Is that...is that dumb?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. I have my secret place, too. It's um...it's the top floor of the library. When I'm having a bad day, I just go there and read to take my mind off of everything."

"You like to read?"

"I...I know. I'm a nerd."

"Hey, we go to NYU. We're all nerds here." He gently nudged her arm with his elbow.

"True."

The couple simply stood there for a while, doing nothing except enjoying the landscape before them. It was quiet. It was peaceful. It was perfect. They hardly even felt the cold anymore. They just felt content. Happy. Free.

"So, why uh...why did you want to bring me here if this is _your_ place?" the blonde asked eventually. "I mean, I'm not complaining. It's just...I don't know. I'd think you'd wanna keep it to yourself."

"Well," Hiccup paused to take a deep breath. "I erm...I think you're a nice girl and a good friend and um...you have uh...pretty eyes and um...I was hoping we could have a second date. And if we have a second date, that means we're uh...that we're practically a couple...kinda...and if we're a couple...erm...we should be able to share this sort of stuff. At least, I uh... _wanna_ share it with you."

Astrid's heart raced, and happy butterflies fluttered in her stomach. A second date? She couldn't have asked for anything better. "I...I'd love to go out with you again," she said. "What about...what about Monday morning? We could go get breakfast before class."

"If we're not snowed in by then."

"If we are, then you can come to my dorm and we can watch a movie or something."

"Yeah." He tightened his grip on her hand. "Speaking of dorms, I think we should go back. I can feel you shivering and uh...I don't want you to catch a cold or anything."

"I'm fine. Really."

"No. You're not. And as your date for the night, it's my responsibility to take care of you."

A smile spread across Astrid's face. Normally, she'd be mad that someone was trying to suggest that she needed to be taken care of. But for some reason, having Hiccup suggest it was different. She liked that he valued her enough to protect her - even if she didn't really need protecting. "Okay, then. We can go."

Without another word, he began to walk in the direction of the dorms, the blonde's fingers still intertwined with his.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You're limping."

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just in a car accident a couple years ago and hurt my leg. It usually doesn't bother me anymore, but if I'm standing or walking for too long, it sometimes acts up."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know. I -"

"Don't be sorry. I've gotten used to it." He shrugged.

"But still..."

"Don't worry." He rubbed the side of her hand with his thumb.

The remainder of the walk was relatively silent. When the pair reached the dorms, Hiccup followed Astrid to her door. "Well, I uh...I guess this is where we say goodnight."

"Yeah." Placing a hand underneath his chin, the blonde gave him a quick peck on the cheek, then wrapped her arms around his neck. "Thanks for a great time, by the way. I really had fun."

He grinned and returned the hug. "So did I. And um...thanks for going out with me."

"Thanks for asking me to go out with you." She released her hold on him.

"Oh, you don't need to thank me for that. It was my pleasure." Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, goodnight," he said eventually.

"Goodnight. I'll text you later."

"Sounds awesome. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Astrid pulled her dorm key from her purse, then glanced over her shoulder as the auburn-haired boy vanished into the distance.

This was going to be the beginning of either a massive heartbreak or something amazing. And she hoped it was the latter.


	13. Honeymoon

**_Honeymoon_**

 ** _..._**

 **I've gotten a lot of requests for more stories in my AU world, so here you go!**

 **...**

"We should get up." Astrid giggled as her new husband leaned in for yet another kiss. "I mean, we're on our honeymoon. In _Hawaii_. We should go to the beach or something."

"Exactly. We're on our _honeymoon_." Smirking, Hiccup ran his fingers through her tousled hair while his free hand caressed her hip. "We're supposed to be enjoying each other."

"But we didn't pay almost three thousand dollars just to stay in bed."

He pecked her lips. "That's kinda the point of a honeymoon, milady."

"You're crazy, babe." Smiling, she cuddled into his bare chest.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and nuzzled his nose into her hair. "Yeah, crazy in love."

"You're such a dork."

"I know." He grinned and kissed her head. "But that's why you married me."

Astrid let out a small sigh. "I'm hungry."

"We can order room service," suggested Hiccup.

The blonde shook her head. "You can sit inside all day if you want, but I'm gonna go out and something." Holding the covers to her chest, she leaned over the edge of the bed and grabbed her husband's t-shirt from the floor. After slipping on the garment, she climbed out of bed, stepped into her underwear, and began to brush her tangled hair.

"I love how you look in my shirt," he grinned. "You should wear my clothes more often."

"Oh, I will. They're way comfier than mine. And they smell like you, too." Smiling, she made her way over to him and pecked his lips.

He gently took the hairbrush from her hand. "Sit down."

"What?"

"Sit down. I wanna brush your hair for you." Hiccup reached over the edge of the bed to take his boxers from the floor. After putting them on, he sat up and situated himself against the pillows.

The blonde eagerly settled between his legs and closed her eyes as he soothingly brushed through her messy locks. Every so often, he'd smooth them with his hands. He finished the task by kissing the top of her head.

Turning, Astrid cupped his stubbly chin in her palm and connected her lips with his.

"Come here," he said, circling his arms around her waist and drawing her into his chest. A wandering hand moved down to touch her scantly-covered bum.

She eagerly returned the embrace. "I love you."

"Love you more."

"Love you more than more."

"That doesn't even make sense, milady."

A pause followed.

"I gotta shower," Astrid said eventually.

"Can I come?"

She giggled. "I don't think we'd actually end up leaving this room if we showered together."

"And what's wrong with staying in? You're a prettier sight than any beach on this island."

"I don't wanna stay in. I wanna go out and explore."

Sighing, he released his hold on her. "Fine." His voice was full of mock anger.

She made a face at him as she slipped off the mattress and headed into the bathroom.

"Don't miss me too much!" Hiccup called after her.

"You dork!" Astrid responded before starting the water. She then undressed and stepped into the shower. After quickly washing up and shaving her legs, she wrapped herself in one of the fluffy hotel towels and made her way back out into the main portion of the room.

"Did you enjoy?"

"Mmm-hmm." She grabbed a bikini and slipped the bottoms on beneath her towel, then turned her back to her husband so she could put on the top in somewhat of a private manner.

"Hey, I've already seen everything," he said.

"And?" She walked over to him, holding the strings of the top in her hands. "Mind tying this for me?"

"Mmm, I'd rather just take the whole thing off."

"Come on. Be serious."

"Serious. Gotcha." Hiccup tied the strings in a bow, then grinned as he looked his wife up and down. She was gorgeous. And the best part was that her bikini wasn't too skimpy like the bikinis other girls so often wore. The bottoms completely covered her bum, and the top was cut so as not to show too much of her chest. Those parts of her body were only for him to see, and he liked it that way.

"Is something wrong?"

"Quite the opposite." He grinned. "You look amazing."

"Thanks, babe. Now, go get yourself ready so we can head out."

...

The newlyweds laid their towels out on the fine sand. This was it. Lanikai Beach. They'd heard it was one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, and from what they saw, that statement was accurate. The area was silent, the water was clear and blue, and the sand was warm.

"Aren't you glad that I made you leave our hotel room?" Astrid asked.

"I guess so." Wrapping an arm around her waist, Hiccup kissed her lips. "So, are we going in?"

"We should." She grabbed his hand and led him to the water. However, upon feeling its coldness on her feet, she backed away.

"What?"

"It's freezing!"

"Freezing, huh?" Smirking, he lifted her over his shoulder and, stepping into the ocean, gently tossed her into the water.

"Hiccup Haddock, why in the world would you do something like this?" Despite her seemingly angry words, she wound her arms around his waist.

"You said you wanted to go in."

"Not like that!" She playfully splashed him.

"Astrid!"

"You started it, babe." She shrugged.

"Sure, milady. Blame it on me."

"Oh, I will."

The two continued their playful fight in the water for a little while longer. When they grew tired, they returned to their towels and laid down in the sun to allow themselves to dry. Eventually, they packed up and made their way back to the hotel.

"Aren't you glad we went to the beach?" Astrid asked as they stepped into their room.

"Yeah, it was fun. I'm just tired now," came Hiccup's response.

"Me, too." She sighed. "Do you wanna just stay in and watch a movie after we get cleaned up?"

"Sounds good."

"Shower together?" she suggested.

"No." He shook his head before allowing a smile to spread across his face. "Just kidding. Of course I'll shower with you."

Within a matter of minutes, the young couple were standing under the running water, caught up in a passionate lip lock. Astrid's back was pressed against the wall, and her husband's hands were resting low on her hips. Her arms were draped around his neck, drawing their faces closer together.

"Oh, gosh," he moaned as they finally pulled apart.

"Mmm-hmm," she murmured in agreement.

The shower lasted longer than necessary. When it was finally finished, Hiccup and Astrid exchanged smirks while they dried off and wrapped up in towels.

"I'm stealing your clothes," the blonde announced as she made her way out of the bathroom. After rummaging through her husband's things, she found a pair of basketball shorts and a sweatshirt. "This looks cozy," she decided with a yawn.

"Go ahead and wear it, then."

Once the two were dressed, they climbed into bed and turned on Netflix. Astrid curled against Hiccup's chest, her chilly toes pressing into his left leg. Smiling, he kissed her head and pulled up the covers.

"You comfy?"

She nodded and snuggled in closer. Within a matter of minutes, she was fast asleep.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered. Running his fingers through her damp hair, he kissed her forehead. Thoughts ran through his head about how amazing it was to be married. While others his age were struggling to find the perfect one and getting their hearts broken, he had the privilege of waking up and falling asleep beside his new wife every day. They had their own apartment, they had a cat named Toothless, and they planned to start trying for a baby soon after they graduated. Life was amazing.

Astrid stirred and curled a fist around a piece of her husband's t-shirt.

Grinning, Hiccup tightened his embrace and rested his head atop hers. Yes, married life was undeniably amazing. No, it was more than amazing. Maybe even perfect.


	14. Goodbye

**_Goodbye_**

 **...**

 **This is on the sad side so please bear with me. This was an actual thing that happened to me so yeah...I miss him so much:(**

 **...**

Astrid had been preparing for the day she had to say goodbye to her best friend. Her best friend who she was secretly in love with. Secretly because common sense told her not to admit her feelings aloud. In love because...well, she couldn't quite explain why. Maybe it was the way he smiled. Maybe it was the fact that he was a dork. Maybe it was even because she recognized his flaws, and knew that they made him real. She'd never liked perfection. Perfection seemed too fake to her.

And then there was the fact that he knew her better than any of her other friends. When she talked about deep, meaningful things, he understood what she was saying. He'd seen her laugh, he'd seen her angry, he'd seen her on the verge of a breakdown. He hadn't seen her cry yet, though, and she was hoping to keep it that way.

She felt her stomach flip at the sound of a knock. She knew it was Hiccup. He'd told her he was coming to say goodbye before he left. He was moving to another island - one that was far away from Berk. She'd tried to talk him out of it, but he'd insisted that he just didn't fit in on Berk, and that he needed to search for a place to call home. She understood. She just wished that his new home could be somewhere close to her. But at the same time, she knew that wish was selfish.

"You're...you're really leaving?" Astrid's voice shook as she looked into his eyes.

He didn't say anything. He simply nodded and pulled her into a tight hug, one unlike any other hug they'd shared before. His arms circled her middle, squeezing her until she could barely breathe and she felt as if her feet were about to leave the ground. She fiercely returned his embrace and buried her face into his shoulder, taking in his familiar scent. There was so much she wanted to tell him, yet she was too choked up to utter a word.

"I have to," he said eventually, releasing his hold on her. "I'm excited, though."

She forced a smile. "I...I'm happy for you."

He grinned back and let out a nervous chuckle. "I can't believe I'm really leaving."

"Neither can I." She paused. "We've been to hell and back together. But now...now we won't be able to have adventures together like we used to."

"You can come visit me."

"I'd love to. It's just...it's just that you'll be so far, and -"

"I'm sure you'll pass through sometimes."

She sighed. "I hope so." At this point, tears were gathering in her eyes.

"You understand why I have to do this, right?" asked Hiccup.

"I do."

He bit his lip. Astrid swore his eyes were growing moist. "Well...I uh...I better get going." Turning his face away from her, he reached for the doorknob.

"Wait." A tear trickled down her cheek as she stretched her arms out.

"Okay, one last hug," he decided, enveloping her in another tight embrace.

Another tear escaped her eye and sank into his shirt. "I...I'll miss you." Her voice betrayed the fact that she was about to begin sobbing.

It could have been her imagination, but she swore he pulled her a bit closer in response to her words. "I...I'm sure...I mean, we'll see each other again," he assured when they finally pulled apart.

"I..." She trailed off.

His hand touched the doorknob once more. "We'll see each other again," he repeated. "I promise."

She watched as he walked out the door, then dragged herself into her bedroom. She felt empty. Life seemed meaningless. She would no longer be able to look forward to having him brighten her day. There would be no more late night talks. No more laughter. No more early morning flights. No more _him_. Taking a sheet of paper, she chewed on her lip. She wanted to tell him. She _needed_ to tell him. But she couldn't.

 _I love you_. She mouthed the words while she scribbled them down. After staring at the page for a few minutes, she crumpled it in her fist and tossed it into the fireplace. Unable to control her emotions any longer, she hid her face in her pillow and allowed heavy, bitter tears to carry her to sleep.


	15. Broken (Part I)

**_Broken_**

 ** _..._**

 **You guys are gonna hate me, but I got a request for a story where Hiccstrid have marriage problems. Don't worry, though, this is only Part I of a two part story:)**

 **...**

Hiccup sighed as he rolled over and stared at the wall. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about how, had this night been happening a couple years ago, he would've had Astrid wrapped in his arms. Her head would've been resting on his chest, and she would've been listening to his heartbeat. Everything would've been blissful.

But now, that wasn't the case. Since the birth of their youngest daughter, Erika, the household had become chaotic. Stoick, their oldest son, was on the verge of becoming a teenager, and eleven-year-old Finn wasn't far behind. Although only nine, Ingrid was starting to show interest in boys, and had started having spells of moodiness. And then there was Erika, who was always toddling all over the house and picking up whatever objects were within her reach.

Over the past couple months, Hiccup hadn't had a conversation with his wife that didn't revolve around what was for dinner or who was going to stay home with the kids on which days. He blamed himself. If he hadn't grown so absorbed in his chief duties, this wouldn't be happening. However, Astrid wasn't making much more of an effort. She was always focused on when she could escape her duties as a housewife to teach at the Academy, or else she was busy hearing about who Ingrid's new crush was (which Hiccup disapproved of - he didn't think his wife should be encouraging his baby girl to get involved with boys).

They'd used to go on date nights every now and then. But those were gone. Their thirteenth wedding anniversary had recently passed, and all they'd done to celebrate was give each other little gifts. They still greeted one another in the morning and wished each other goodnight, but it seemed that they were only going through the motions. Even their kisses had gone from being passionate to the point where their kids covered their eyes in disgust, to being close-mouthed pecks. They still changed clothes in the same room and walked into the washroom while the other was bathing, but there was never anything sexual about it anymore. Astrid had stopped joining her husband in the bath, and no longer snuck glances as he removed his tunic at night. Even simple cuddling sessions had become rare.

He loved her. Well, at least he thought he still did. He didn't want to leave her. He liked living with her, but it felt like they were just roommates. Roommates who were friends, and occasionally kissed just for the fun of it. The spark that had so long been present between them was now gone. He felt more excited to see his kids than he was to see Astrid when he came home from work.

Something had to be done. He realized that. But what he didn't know was what that something was. Sighing, he turned to face his sleeping wife and pressed a gentle kiss onto her forehead. "What am I gonna do about you, milady?"

...

Astrid let out a sigh of relief as Erika finally drifted off to sleep in her arms. The older kids were playing outside, which meant that she had some peace and quiet while the little one was snoozing. Finally, she could reflect on what was happening with her husband without the distraction of a toddler getting into everything and three energetic pre-teens creating mischief in the house.

Ever since Erika's birth, Hiccup rarely tried to initiate sex anymore. At first, she figured that it was because the family was busy. But the more she considered it, the more she started to realize that perhaps he no longer found her attractive. After all, she hadn't been able to lose her baby weight like she had in her younger years, after the first three children were born. She wasn't fat, but she wasn't stick-thin teenager Astrid, either. She had stretch marks on her thighs and stomach, and her hair had lost some of its shine. In other words, she looked like a mother - not a model. He didn't even pay attention anymore when she undid her breast bindings at night, and the other day, when he'd happened to walk into the washroom while she was toweling off after a bath, he didn't even smirk at her.

But it wasn't just the sex (or lack thereof) that was bothering her. Her relationship with Hiccup had never been solely based off of physical touch. She also felt as if their emotional connection was falling apart. They almost never had deep conversations anymore. In fact, they rarely even talked. They weren't the way they used to be. She wondered if he was angry with her. Or maybe disappointed. Or, in the worst case scenario, he had fallen out of love with her. The biggest problem was that she didn't think he cared enough to talk about it. He was too busy with other things.

...

Smiling, Hiccup kissed Ingrid's forehead and watched while she snuggled beneath the covers. "Goodnight, my little girl," he murmured.

"Wait. Daddy," Ingrid called as her father turned to leave.

He looked back at her. "Yes, princess?"

"Do you still love Mama?"

"Of course. What kind of question is that?"

"You didn't kiss her when you came home today. And you hardly talked to her at dinner."

"Daddy was just tired tonight," he said with a weak smile.

Just as Hiccup finished speaking, Astrid walked into the room with the youngest Haddock in her arms, nestled in a warm towel. "After I get Erika into her nightgown and settled in bed, I'm going for a ride on Stormfly," she said. "If you could dump her bath water for me, that would be great."

"I will."

"Why are you going out by yourself?" Ingrid questioned.

"Because Mama needs to think about some things. I'll be back by morning."

"Do you still love Daddy?"

"Stop being silly, honey." With that, the blonde quickly finished getting Erika ready for bed, then tucked her beneath the blankets of her crib. "Goodnight, loves."

...

Hiccup slept alone that night. Although Astrid had promised to return before morning, sunrise brought no sign of her. He knew he should look for her; however, he had four children who needed to be cared for first. Sighing, he climbed out of bed and made his way into the washroom. After taking a quick bath and dressing for the day, he walked to the kitchen, where he started preparing breakfast.

"Good morning, Mom," Stoick mumbled absently as he rounded the corner. "I mean, Dad," he quickly corrected upon catching sight of his father. "Wait, why are _you_ cooking? Where's Mom?"

"She went out for a ride last night and hasn't come back yet. I'm gonna need to gather a search party if she doesn't show up by the time we're done eating."

"Can I come?" asked the young Viking, taking a seat at the table.

Hiccup sighed. "I don't know. I think it would be best if you stayed with Grandma."

"Where are we going?" That was Finn, who came to join his brother at the table.

"To Grandma's," Hiccup replied.

"No, we're going to help Dad find Mom," corrected Stoick. "She left and never came back."

"Here comes the baby!" Ingrid announced. She stepped into the kitchen, little Erika in her arms. "She wants Mama."

"Mama's not back yet," said Hiccup.

"But she promised she'd be here by morning!" Ingrid exclaimed.

"Me and Finn are going on a search party for her with Dad," Stoick told his sister. "But you and Erika are going to Grandma's."

Hiccup groaned. " _All_ of you are going to Grandma's, son."

"Daddy," Ingrid said. She set Erika down, then walked over to her father and hugged him.

"What is it, princess?" Hiccup lifted the little girl into his arms. Despite her age, she was small, and so he had no problem holding her.

"I just want you and Mama to love each other so we can be a family." Ingrid hugged her father's neck and buried her face into his shoulder.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Everything is gonna be okay."

At that moment, the sound of the front door creaking open was heard.

"Astrid?" Hiccup called, placing Ingrid back on the ground.

"Yeah, it's me," came Astrid's voice. A few seconds later, she appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.

Smiling, Erika toddled over to her mother and hugged her leg. "Mama!"

Astrid bent down and scooped the child off the ground.

"We were worried about you," said Hiccup. "You said you were coming back before morning. I was about to put aside the morning duties and send out a search party. And you know this is a busy time of the year on Berk. You can't just leave like this."

"Oh, so you don't care that I might not have been back sooner because something happened? What if I'd been hurt? All you care about is that I almost inconvenienced your schedule."

"I care. It's just...nothing happened, and you scared me. You can't make me think you need help when you don't."

"I can come and go whenever I want. I don't have to answer to you."

"Well, I'm your chief, so technically speaking..." Hiccup trailed off.

Stoick grinned. "Wow, this is getting good!"

Sighing, Hiccup shook his head. "We'll talk after breakfast."

"No, we won't." Astrid placed Erika in her high chair. "Because I'm moving out."

"What?"

"Hiccup, you had to have seen this coming. We're not...we're not _us_ anymore. The spark that I felt for so long...it's just not there. We barely talk. We barely kiss. And now you think you can control my life? This isn't what I signed up for when we got married."

Tears filled Ingrid's eyes. "But Mama..."

"It's not your fault, sweetie." Astrid hugged her daughter. "And I'll still see you. I'm just going to be at Grandpa and Grandma Hofferson's house."

"Can't we talk first?" Hiccup asked. "I mean..."

"There's nothing to say. It's over." With that, Astrid turned and walked out of the room.


	16. Broken (Part II)

**_Broken_**

 ** _..._**

 **Part II of the previous story. Rated T for mild references.**

 **...**

Sighing, Hiccup lifted a fussy Erika into his arms and motioned to the older children. "Come on, kids. You're gonna go to Grandma's while I do some chiefing." It was times like these that he wished he could still talk to his father. It wasn't that Valka wouldn't be able to give him advice, it was that he wanted to hear the perspective of Stoick, who had found himself in the same situation when Hiccup was a baby and Valka had left on Cloudjumper.

"Hey, Hiccup!" Fishlegs' voice sounded almost as soon as the chief stepped out the door.

"Good morning, Fishlegs." Hiccup forced a smile.

"What's wrong?" The plump Viking frowned.

"Mama left us this morning," Ingrid blurted out. "She and Daddy don't love each other anymore."

Fishlegs gasped. "Oh, Hiccup, that must be terrible!"

"It's...it's not gonna be easy," the chief admitted.

"Well, let me know if you need anything, like a babysitter, or a dragonsitter, or..."

"I will," Hiccup said. "Right now, though, I'm gonna take these guys to my mom's, and then we'll start working on getting some wood stocked up for winter."

"I'll get Meatlug and head over to the forest awhile. I'll also let Snotlout and Tuffnut know what's happening. Ruff is gonna stay home with the kids today. The baby has a fever."

"Okay, great. See you soon, then." After casting his friend a grateful smile, Hiccup continued to lead the little Haddocks on the walk to his mother's house.

"What brings you here, son?" Valka asked as she opened the door.

Hiccup sighed. "I'm sorry this is last minute, Mom, but can the kids stay with you today? Astrid...Astrid left this morning." His voice grew quiet. "And I don't know if she's coming back."

"What? She just...she just left?"

"Well, there were...there were things leading up to it." He placed Erika on the ground.

"I'm so sorry." Shaking her head, Valka wrapped her son in a tight embrace.

A tear slipped down Hiccup's cheek. "I just...I just wish Dad was here."

"Me, too, love."

"Dad," Stoick began when his father backed away from Valka. "Can me and Finn go hang out with Lars?" Lars was Tuffnut and his wife Brenna's son.

"Ask Grandma."

"Just so long as you don't create chaos around the village," responsed Valka. "I'm too old to chase after crazy preteens."

"Gramma!" Erika toddled up to Valka and stretched out her arms.

"Come here, tiny one." Valka lifted the child off the floor.

"Alright, I gotta go. Anyone want a hug before I leave?" asked Hiccup.

Ingrid ran over and flung her arms around her father's waist. "I love you, Daddy."

"I love you, too, princess. Now, you behave. All of you behave. You hear?"

"I'm sure they'll be angels," assured Valka. "Have a good day at work, son."

"Thanks, Mom. I'll try."

...

Astrid woke up to the sound of a gentle knock on her bedroom door. A month had passed since she'd left Hiccup, most of which had been spent either crying, visiting with her children, or helping her mother with household tasks. She'd been avoiding going outside because she didn't want people to ask her about her situation. She'd probably punch them in the nose if they did.

"Who's here?" she asked groggily.

"Me." That was Hiccup's voice. "I'm dropping the kids off."

"Come in."

The chief appeared in the doorway, a bouquet of flowers in his hand and no children in sight.

She narrowed her eyes. "Where are the kids?"

"Downstairs with your parents. I just...I know I'm not exactly your favorite person now, but I uh...I thought you could use some cheering up. I haven't seen you outside in days, and figured it must be...erm...hard for you." He handed her the bouquet.

Astrid buried her nose in the flowers. "Roses...my favorite. Thanks, Hiccup." She looked up with a weak smile.

He grinned back. "And uh...while I'm on your good side, I erm...I was wondering if I could take you out for a sunset flight this evening. I mean, as long as you aren't occupied with another Viking."

"That sounds amazing."

"Great. I'll pick you up at seven."

...

Hiccup arrived at the Hofferson house with Toothless, who was saddled and ready for a flight. Before the chief could even knock on the door, Astrid walked outside. She wasn't wearing her usual attire, but had on a pale blue dress, underneath which she wore a pair of navy leggings. Her feet were covered in her typical brown boots, and her hair was in its usual braid.

"Good evening, milady," Hiccup greeted. "You look beautiful."

"Thanks. I tried." The blonde smiled. This was the first time in forever that her husband had complemented her on her appearance.

"You don't have to try. You're always beautiful." He took her hand in his, and immediately noticed that she was wearing her wedding ring. He wondered if she'd kept it on the whole time they'd been separated.

Toothless nudged his rider, then turned so that the couple could easily climb onto his back.

"So, where are we going?" asked Astrid.

"You'll see." Hiccup urged Toothless into the sky, which was pink from the setting sun. As he did so, he felt his wife's arms wrap around his waist. At least she wasn't punching him...yet. He had a feeling she'd be slightly upset when she realized his complete plan.

...

Yawning, Astrid leaned against Hiccup's shoulder. They'd been flying for a couple hours, and only seemed to be getting further and further away from Berk. By this time, the sun had set and the sky was dark. The moon hung high in the sky, and a number of stars were visible.

"You getting sleepy?" the chief asked.

She nodded against him.

"Well, lucky for you, we're almost there."

"Almost where?"

"You'll see."

The blonde simply mumbled something inaudible and closed her eyes. The next thing she knew, she was on the ground and Hiccup was nudging her awake.

"We're here," he said.

Astrid sat up and took in her surroundings. She quickly realized that Hiccup had taken her to Itchy Armpit. "What? Why are we here? The kids -"

"Relax. The kids are safe with my mom. She knows that we might be gone for a day or two. And Gobber's running the village."

"A day or two?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. We need time to ourselves." He opened Toothless' saddle bag and pulled out supplies to build a tent. "You know, a getaway. A vacation. A trip."

"You're crazy." Astrid shook her head before walking over to assist her husband. Once they finished, she helped him make a bed out of pillow and thick furs.

The chief smiled. "Let's get some rest. We can talk more in the morning."

...

Hiccup awoke to find his wife curled against him, something that he hadn't awoken to in a long time. They'd both slept in their underclothes, and so he could feel her warm skin against his. Her golden hair was loose and draped over one of the pillows, and the covers were pulled up to her freckled nose.

"Good morning, Ast," he greeted as he saw her eyelids crack open.

The blonde yawned. "Mmm."

"I'm gonna go start a fire and make us some breakfast. You sleep a little longer."

"No, stay," she mumbled, gripping his arm.

"I suppose that can be arranged." He grinned and leaned down to kiss her lips. To his delight, she kissed back passionately, and her tongue slipped into his mouth.

The kiss soon turned into a sloppy make-out session, which caused touching, which led to the few pieces of clothing they were wearing to be shed. Before they knew it, they were collapsing in each other's arms after finally ending their months of abstinence.

"Oh gods, that was good," he eventually grinned. He was lying on her chest, his nose buried in her soft breasts.

" _Really_ good," Astrid echoed, giggling as her husband slid down to kiss her tummy.

Hiccup smirked before rolling off of her and pulling her on top of him. "So...now that we're both in a good mood, why don't we talk?"

"I'm...I'm sorry," the blonde began after a long spell of silence. "I...I shouldn't have left."

"I'm sorry, too," he said. "I shouldn't have neglected you like I did."

She sighed. "It wasn't all you. I kinda ignored you, also."

The chief ran his fingers through her hair. "Do you really think the spark between us is gone?" he asked, referring to what she had said right before she'd left.

"Well, considering that I just had amazing sex with you, no."

"But you know, our relationship was never only based on sex. Although it is nice."

"Yeah, but we need this sometimes. I...I was worried that maybe you weren't making any moves on me because my body isn't what it used to be. I mean, you'd walk in the washroom while I was naked and barely even glance at me."

"Oh, Ast, I was always in a hurry whenever I saw you taking your baths. And I assumed you were, too." He paused. "I love your body. I love how you got curvier, and how your breasts grew, and even how you gained some weight - because you gained that weight carrying my children. I love all your stretch marks and how your thighs got a little thicker, and how your bum got rounder. But mostly, I love your body because it belongs to you, and as cheesy as it sounds, you're beautiful inside and out." He leaned down to kiss her lips, which were swollen from their earlier activities.

Astrid let out a happy sigh and snuggled deeper into her husband's chest.

"I love you," Hiccup whispered, his breath warm on her ear. He hugged her as he spoke, his right hand traveling down to touch her bum. "I know I haven't really been acting like it lately, but I love you more than anything in this world."

At that moment, Toothless stuck his head through the opening of the tent.

"I know, bud. You're hungry," the chief said. "I'll feed you in a minute."

...

Astrid was sitting atop one of the furs that she and Hiccup had used as bedding the previous night. She had dressed in her underwear and his tunic, something she'd not been able to do often since they'd started having babies. A plate of eggs and oatmeal sat in front of her, and her husband was settled beside her with his platter of food.

"You know, we should do stuff like this sometimes," she suggested. "Maybe we could try to get up before the kids every so often and eat together. I think that if we did that, we wouldn't feel so...however we felt about our marriage before."

"And I should kidnap you for the weekend on occasion." He nudged her arm before leaning over to press a sloppy kiss onto her cheek.

She giggled.

The two finished their breakfast, then hurried to the nearby stream, undressed, and sank into the warm water. They were as giddy as they had been when they'd first married and started making love - smiling, blushing, and softly laughing while they took turns washing each other's bodies. Once they finished, they climbed out and, shivering at the feeling of cool air hitting their skin, cocooned themselves in blankets and walked to the tent to dress.

When they were both clothed, Astrid climbed into Hiccup's lap. Sitting sideways, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I missed you," she murmured.

"I missed you, too," he responded, hugging her waist. "And I'd love for you to come home with me when we go back to Berk." He paused. "What do you say? We could be a family again."

"Yes," she responsed, nodding against him. "But only if you promise that things won't fall apart between us a second time."

"I promise I'll do everything I can to prevent that. I'll love you, cherish you, and keep you in sickness and health until the day one of us gets called to Valhalla. Can you promise the same to me?"

"I promise. And I'm sorry again for the way I acted."

"I'm sorry, too." He kissed her nose, causing her to smile and cuddle deeper into him.

"I love you, babe."

"I love you, too, milady. Forever and always."

"Forever and always," she repeated, leaning in for a kiss.


	17. Invitation?

**_Invitation?_**

 ** _..._**

It was that time of year again - the time of Berk's annual ball. The only difference was that, as adults that were eighteen and nineteen years of age, Hiccup and his dragon riding friends were expected to show up with dates. Technically speaking, they should've found dates for the first time when they were fifteen or sixteen, but Stoick had bent the rules. After all, he hadn't been ready to let his son grow up that quickly. But now, the rules couldn't be bent any longer. The six friends _had_ to bring dates.

"Hiccup," Fishlegs said as he ran over to his friend. "Do you think Ruffnut will go to the ball with me? I really wanna ask her, but I'm scared of coming off too strong. If I do that, she's not gonna -"

"Fishlegs," the auburn-haired Viking cut in. "She was married to you for an entire day. Why would she say no?"

"I know, but that was a month ago! Things could've changed since then."

Before Hiccup could respond, Tuffnut appeared beside him. "If you're talking about my sister, Fishlegs, she hasn't shut up about you since you divorced her. I mean, since she divorced you. However you wanna word it. You know what I mean."

"Oooh, this is so exciting!" squealed Fishlegs. "I'm gonna take my snookiepie to the ball!"

" _Snookiepie_?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow.

"Her choice, not mine," the plump blonde retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"So Hiccup, who are you asking to the ball?" asked Tuffnut.

Hiccup blushed and bit his lip. "Uhhh, I um...I haven't given it much thought, to be honest," he replied with a shrug.

"Well, just know that I call dibs on Chicken. And I heard Snotlout is trying to convince Heather to go with him. I wonder how well that'll work."

"Oh, gods," Hiccup muttered under his breath.

"She said yes!" A loud voice, accompanied by a flaming dragon and his rider, boomed throughout Dragon's Edge. "I have a date! Snotlout, Snoutlout, oi, oi, oi!"

"I'll believe that when I see it," laughed Tuffnut.

"Well, you'd better get ready to taste a punch in the face, because I'm not making this up," Snotlout said as he landed. "Heather agreed to come to the ball with me. I may or may not have bribed her with runes, but she's coming, and in my eyes, that's all that matters."

"That's great, Snotlout," Hiccup smiled.

"Did you ask Astrid to go with you yet?" asked the loud-mouthed dragon rider.

Hiccup blushed again. "Who said...who said I was asking Astrid?"

"Asking me what?" As if on cue, Astrid approached the group, Ruffnut following slightly behind.

"If you were uh...if you were still doing dawn patrol tomorrow morning," Hiccup answered. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Oh, that...erm...of course I am. When have I ever backed out of a patrol?"

"Yeah, that's me and Tuffnut's thing," Ruffnut interjected. "Get your facts straight, Hiccup. And by the way, I was talking to Astrid, and she said that no one's asked her to that stupid ball yet. I mean, no one's asked me, either, but that's a problem for Fishlegs - I mean, honey."

Fishlegs smiled. "Well, sounds like it's your lucky day, snookiepie. Come flying with Meatlug and I tonight and we'll work out the details."

...

Sighing, Astrid peeked into the mirror as she slipped into her bathrobe. Her eyes were red and noticeably swollen. She'd have to get rid of that look before she went outside. She was a Hofferson, and Hoffersons didn't cry - especially not over boys neglecting to ask them to a silly ball. There was still a week left before the event, but everyone else had settled on dates by this point. And then there was Hiccup, who she _thought_ liked her, but the fact that he hadn't yet asked her to the ball proved otherwise.

She grabbed a washcloth - still damp from her bath - and rubbed her eyes, attempting to soothe the redness of her eyes. She couldn't leave her hut looking like a wreck. The others would question her. Not that she even wanted to leave in the first place. She didn't feel like seeing _him_ \- at least, not when he was playing games with her feelings. Despite these emotions, however, she still took extra time on her braid, clipped her uneven nails, and put on a little extra eyeliner.

 _Knock, knock_.

Astrid quickly pulled on her boots, then cracked open the front door. Her blue eyes met a handsome pair of green ones.

"Hey, what's taking so long? You're usually up and ready by now," grinned Hiccup.

"I...I slept late," the blonde lied. "But I'm ready now." She stepped outside.

"Did you eat breakfast?"

"No...I mean, yes...I uh...never mind. I just...I'm just not feeling well. Will you be okay without me if I make some tea and sit inside for a little longer?" She wasn't lying. She _did_ have cramps that were a result of it being her time of the month; she just usually tried to ignore them. But now, she wasn't in the mood.

"Yeah, of...of course." He shrugged. "Take your time. Feel better."

After forcing a grateful smile onto her lips, Astrid shut the door and sank into the nearby chair. He hadn't even asked if she needed anything, or even just questioned as to how bad she felt. Not that she expected him to - she'd already decided that he didn't have feelings for her. If he did, he would've asked her to the ball.

...

"Welcome back, son," Stoick said as Hiccup stepped inside the Haddock house, Toothless trailing behind. "Are you ready to help me set up for the ball?"

"Yeah, of...of course," Hiccup answered.

"By the way, you and Astrid are going to have the opening dance, since Valka - I mean, your mother - isn't here to dance with me." A flash of sadness appeared in his eyes - the sadness that showed every time he mentioned his wife.

The auburn-haired Viking froze. "Uh...what did you just say, Dad?"

"I said that you and Astrid are going to have the opening dance. You know, the one reserved for the chief and his wife? You and Astrid will be in that position soon enough, so I decided that you two might as well represent the Haddock family."

"Oh...erm...uh...that's great. Just great." Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck. "I'll just have to um...talk to her about it...yeah, uh...right after I...right after I ask her to be my date." He chuckled nervously.

"You haven't asked her? What are you waiting for, son? She's your girlfriend."

"G-Girlfriend?" Hiccup's eyes grew to twice their normal size.

"Yes, girlfriend. I see how you two are together."

"No...Dad, we're...we're just friends."

"Mmm-hmm." Stoick sighed before looking his son in the eye. "What are you afraid of, Hiccup? What do you think will happen if you ask her to be your girlfriend?"

The auburn-haired Viking scratched Toothless behind the ears. "I uh...well...I erm...I'm not good enough for her. She's beautiful and smart and tough and blonde, and I'm just an awkward dragon rider with a missing leg."

Stoick laughed. "You mustn't be paying attention, son, because I see the way she looks at you. It's the same way your mother used to look at me."

Hiccup was silent.

"And you know, you do need to start thinking about finding a wife. You're of marrying age now, and you're next in line to be chief, which means that you'll need an heir who will be next in line after you."

"Woah, Dad. I'm not ready to be a father."

"Maybe not, but I think you're ready to ask a girl to the ball. The poor lass is probably waiting for you to invite her."

...

"Hey Astrid, did Hiccup ever ask you to the ball?" asked Ruffnut. The dragon riders - minus Hiccup - were sitting by a stream, watching as their dragons played in the water. It was an unusually warm day, and the poor reptiles needed some relief from the heat after an afternoon of flying.

Astrid sighed. "I don't wanna talk about that."

"He hasn't asked you? What a jerk," Snotlout remarked. "He spends years acting like he's in love with you, and then he doesn't even ask you to the ball? If I would've known this, I would've asked you to go with me. This is an example of why Snotlout shouldn't try to respect other people. It just ends in losing out on a girl."

Frowning, Astrid pushed Snotlout off the log on which he was sitting.

"So, who are you going with?" asked Fishlegs.

"No one." Astrid shrugged. "I'll just stay here and hang out. You know, go flying with Stormfly and stuff. And besides, someone should probably stay to look after the Edge."

"Wait a second. Who's Hiccup going with if he's not going with Astrid?" Tuffnut wondered. "It better not be Chicken, because if he tries to steal my date, I'll -"

"Shut up, Tuffnut," Snotlout interrupted.

Before anyone could say anything else, Toothless appeared with a sheet of paper in his mouth.

"Why is he here? Where's Hiccup?" asked Tuffnut.

"Yeah, what did he do? Swim here? Because we all know he can't fly on his own." Snotlout laughed.

Toothless shot a growl in Snotlout's direction before dropping the paper into Astrid's lap.

Astrid's looked down at the page and silently read:

 _Hey Astrid,_

 _I need to talk to you. Meet me at the beach by the cliffs._

 _Hiccup_

Sighing, the blonde shook her head. "I gotta go," she muttered. "Come on, Stormfly."

...

"Good evening, milady," Hiccup greeted as he caught sight of Astrid landing on Toothless, Stormfly following close behind.

"So, you wanna talk to me?" Astrid raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I...I do. Come sit." He motioned to the space beside him. Once the blonde settled in, he took a deep breath and said, "I know it's kinda late, but uh...you know, I still don't have a date to the ball...and erm...I don't think you do, either...and um...well...I uh...I was wondering if...if you'd go with me." He felt his face grow warm.

Narrowing her eyes, Astrid gave Hiccup a punch in the arm.

"Ow! What...why would you do that?"

"For waiting until now to ask me to go to the ball with you."

He rubbed his sore arm, on which he could feel a bruise beginning to form. "Is...is that a 'yes,' then?"

"Why did you take so long to ask me?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"I erm...uh..."

"Talk to me, Haddock."

"Well, I uh...you're...you're so pretty and smart and I uh...I did think I was good enough for you." He shied away from her soft blue gaze.

"Hiccup," sighed Astrid. "You...you underestimate yourself. You made peace with the dragons when you were only fifteen, you ran the Academy for a few years, and now you're leading us here on the Edge. You're good at drawing, and you can sew and cook way better than I can. And aside from that, you um...you're kinda cute, and I...I like you. A lot."

"I like you, too." He grinned. "A lot."

Smiling, she placed her hand under his chin and quickly pecked his lips. "Just a thank you. For...for inviting me. I know neither of us like dressing up...and we're not the best at dancing, but at least we'll be able to suffer together."

Hiccup's grin grew wider at the feeling of Astrid's lips pressing against his. "So, that means you'll go with me?"

She nodded. "Of course."

"Thanks." At the feeling of her nudging his arm, he cautiously reached down to link his fingers with hers.

The blonde let out a contented sigh and leaned against Hiccup's shoulder.

The pair fell silent, simply watching as the sun set before them.

"It's uh...it's late," the auburn-haired Viking eventually said. "We should go. I gotta fly back to Berk to help my dad finish setting up for the ball, and you need to go to your hut and get a good night's sleep. You had a long day of keeping all the dragon riders in line while I was gone, and you're gonna have a long day tomorrow flying in for the ball."

"Mmm." Astrid, who had begun drifting off, lifted her head. "Can't we just...can't we just spend the night here?"

"I wish." Hiccup sighed. "But don't worry. If things go my way, we're gonna have a lot more evenings like this."


	18. Father's Day

**_Father's Day_**

 ** _..._**

 **Astrid tries to cheer Hiccup up on Father's Day. Drabble. Not my best work but it was a cute idea and I wanted to post something for Father's Day:)**

 **...**

Hiccup sighed as he climbed onto Toothless' back. He couldn't stay on Berk - not now, anyway. Seeing the entire village celebrating Father's Day with picnics and games and feasts was too much for him. It was unfair that everyone seemed to either have a father or be a father except for him. There was nothing for him to be happy about.

"Let's go, bud," he mumbled, urging his dragon into the air. As he rose into the clouds, he felt tears spring into his eyes. Normally, he'd try to stop his emotions After all, he was a grown man. A grown, _married_ man at that. He shouldn't be crying. But now, since he was alone and heading off to who-knows-where, he decided that he could allow himself to sob like a baby.

...

The sky was growing dark, and Astrid saw no sign of her husband. It was usual for him to go off to fly alone sometimes, but it wasn't usual for him to stay away past dinnertime, past when she'd cleared the dishes and was getting ready for bed.

She would've gone out to look for him, but she was exhausted, and flying had been making her feel a bit nauseous as of late. He'd come back; he always did. And so she washed her face and brush her teeth, then found her favorite silk nightgown and began to change. She'd considered wearing something a bit more sexy for Hiccup's sake, but she wasn't in the mood for love-making. As she took off her top, she placed a hand on her bare stomach, which was ever so slightly beginning to grow. Once she was dressed in her nightclothes, she plopped onto the bed she shared with her husband and cocooned herself in the furs that lay atop the mattress.

Sighing, she laid a palm on her tummy again and silently prayed that Hiccup would return soon. She wanted to tell him. She'd wanted to tell him that morning, but he'd been gone by the time she'd woken up.

"Where are you, babe?" she asked aloud, as if he would be able to hear her.

...

Astrid didn't realize that she'd dozed off until Hiccup was sitting beside her, gently shaking her awake.

"You made it." Yawning, she sat up and, throwing her arms around his neck, buried her face in his shoulder. "I was worried about you."

"Yeah, I just...I just needed to be alone today," he explained, returning her hug.

"I understand, babe." Pulling away from him, she touched her stomach. "It's just...I was a little disappointed you stayed away this long because I've been wanting to tell you something."

"What is it, milady?"

Astrid smiled. "Happy Father's Day."

"What? Ast, please, I really don't wanna think about Father's Day."

"You're gonna want to think about it now." She took his hand and placed it in the spot where hers had rested a minute ago.

Hiccup frowned. "What in the name of Thor is this?"

"A baby," she replied.

"What?"

"A baby."

"I don't..."

"I'm pregnant!" she shouted.

Hiccup's eyes grew wide. "Wh-What? We're gonna be...we're gonna be...parents? But...but how?"

"Well, after we got married, we started -"

"No, no, I know how, but still... _how?_ " He lifted his wife's nightgown up to her chest and rested a palm on her tiny baby bump. "She must be so small," he murmured, half to himself.

" _She_?" The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"I...I uh...you know I want a baby girl," he grinned. "But if it's a boy, I'll be happy, too." He leaned down to kiss Astrid's stomach. "I just...I can't believe it."

"Oh, I'm gonna get a lot bigger before this child is born," she assured him. "And wait until we can feel him kicking. I know he's gonna be a little fighter, because I'm his mother."

" _Him_?" Now, it was Hiccup's turn to put on a questioning look.

"I want a boy. A miniature you." She smiled. "How cute would that be?"

"I don't know if you could handle another one of me." He let Astrid's nightgown fall back into place, a smile still playing on his lips. "I'm gonna be a father," he said after a long pause.

"And an amazing one, too."

"Oh, don't expect that much." He pressed a sloppy kiss onto her lips before pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Mmm." She hugged him in return, her chin resting on his shoulder as she did so. "I love you."

"I love you, too. And I love you even more for carrying our baby." He kissed her cheek and gave her bum a playful squeeze before releasing her from his grasp. "I'm gonna go wash up. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Sounds good, babe."

 _I'm gonna be a father. I'm gonna be a father._ The thought ran through Hiccup's head while he walked to the washroom. "I'm gonna be a father," he told his reflection as he stood in front of the mirror. "Odin help me."


	19. Baby Girl

**_Baby Girl_**

 ** _..._**

 **I got a request a while ago for a piece about Hiccup seeing his first newborn daughter for the first time, so here! Also, the fifth episode of the new RTTE season is freaking adorable. I won't post any spoilers here (and don't post any spoilers for me beyond episode 7. I haven't finished yet!) but just go watch. Hiccstrid are adorable and Hiccup's so kind/caring, which is what inspired his attitude here while Astrid's giving birth.**

 **...**

"It's okay. It's okay, milady." Hiccup gave his wife's sweaty hand a comforting squeeze.

"Where..where are the boys?" gasped Astrid. Her words were followed by a moan as yet another contraction cut through her body.

"I took them to Fishlegs. He and Ruff are gonna watch them until the baby gets here." He leaned over to kiss her forehead before grabbing a chip of ice from the cup on the bedside table and placing it in between her lips.

"You're getting there, dear," Valka assured as she peeked under the furs. "Just a little longer and you'll be ready to start pushing."

Astrid sighed. "You've been saying that for the past three hours."

"Do you want me to get you anything?" asked Hiccup.

"Give me my hand." Pulling her fingers out of her husband's grasp, the blonde quickly undid the buttons on her nightgown and tossed the garment aside, leaving her in only her breast bindings.

"Feel better?" he asked.

Astrid nodded. However, the sense of relief was only temporary, as another contraction caused her to let out a pained groan.

Motioning for her to slide over, the young chief sat on the edge of the bed and pushed her bangs out of her eyes.

"Just think, soon you'll be able to meet your new baby," Valka said.

"I...I..." Astrid tried to speak, but broke off with a scream at the feeling of intense pain surging through her stomach and lower back. "Hiccup, I swear, if you _ever_ try to touch me again, I'll -"

"Try pushing, dear," Valka interrupted.

"But I...I don't feel ready," Astrid insisted.

"Just try."

Moaning, the blonde did as she was told. "I...I..." She grasped Hiccup's hand.

"Push again," instructed Valka.

Astrid pushed a second time, then a third, then a fourth, then a fifth. Her husband fed her ice chips in between each attempt. "I...I can't do this. I can't do it." She shook her head.

"Shhh," Hiccup soothed. "You did it twice before. You're gonna be okay. You're doing a great job." He pecked her lips.

"Easy for you to say. You -" She pushed again. This time, her body shook with relief, and the sound of wailing echoed throughout the room.

"She's here," Valka announced, moving the furs aside to place the child on Astrid's stomach.

"She?" Hiccup peeked at the baby.

"Yes, you have a little girl. Come here and cut the cord, son."

Rising from his seat, the young chief grabbed a knife and sliced the baby's umbilical cord. He then helped his mother wipe her down with damp towels. "She...she's beautiful," he said, looking into his newborn's blue eyes - eyes that matched Astrid's.

"Here." Valka swaddled the child in a blanket. "Who wants to hold her first?"

"Let Hiccup," replied Astrid. "He's been waiting for a baby girl."

"There you are, dear." Smiling, Valka handed the sobbing child to Hiccup.

"Hey. Hey there, princess. Don't cry. I'm your daddy," Hiccup soothed, taking his place beside Astrid again.

The newborn grew quiet.

"Oh, Thor." Before the young chief could say anything more, tears of happiness began to flow down his cheeks. "She...she's amazing." He bent down to kiss the top of her head, on which thin strands of strawberry blonde hair were visible.

Resting her chin on Hiccup's shoulder, Astrid gazed at her little girl. She felt her eyes start to grow watery as she ran her thumb along the baby's cheek. "Can I hold her now?"

Hiccup hesitated. He wasn't quite ready to hand over the newborn.

"Hey, _I'm_ the one who did all the work."

"Fair point." He carefully passed his daughter to Astrid.

"She _is_ beautiful," the blonde said, agreeing with Hiccup's earlier statement.

"Alright, I'll leave you two alone with the little one," Valka announced. "I'll be in the living room if you need anything."

The couple simply nodded in acknowledgement, barely taking their eyes off of the baby.

"You hungry, sweetie?" Astrid cooed. Then, turning to Hiccup, she asked, "Could you untie my bindings for me?"

"Of course." The young chief did as he was asked, then wrapped an arm around Astrid's shoulders and watched as the newborn began her first meal. "She needs a name," he mumbled, half to himself.

"Yeah, she does."

"What about we name her after you?"

"No, I don't want another me around." The blonde shook her head.

"Okay, then what about something similar to Astrid? Like Sigrid or Ingrid or something?" suggested Hiccup.

"Hmm...not a bad idea. I like Ingrid. Ingrid Emmaline."

"Perfect." He leaned down to kiss Ingrid's head. "What do you think, tiny one? You like that?"

The baby ignored him, and instead continued to happily suckle.

"You're a little newborn, aren't you?" Hiccup went on. "Well, I can deal with that." He then turned to Astrid and pressed a sloppy kiss onto her lips. "Thank you. Thank you so much for giving me a little girl."

Astrid smiled. "I'm free to carry babies anytime. Just so long as they're _your_ babies."

"Hey, if you were having another man's babies, we'd have a problem."

"No way." She shook her head. "I only gave up becoming a shieldmaiden for one man, and that's you."

"And I'm glad about that." He ran his fingers through her disheveled hair, which had come out of its braid sometime during the birthing process. "By the way, do you want me to start getting a bath ready for you?"

The blonde nodded. "That would be great, babe."

"Okay. I'll go do that. While you're cleaning up, then, I'll hold little Ingrid. My mom can go get the boys from the Ingermans'."

"Or you can put her in the cradle and go get the boys yourself." She paused as Ingrid pulled away from her breast. "Can you grab me some clothes before you go to the washroom? One of your tunics would work. Or one of my nightgowns."

"Not a problem. And I want is to stay here and cuddle my daughter. Is that too much to ask?"

"I suppose not."

Hiccup found a tunic from his dresser drawer and handed it to Astrid. "There you go. Do you need anything else?"

She shook her head and, after handing Ingrid over to him, slipped the garment over her head. "No, I'm okay for now. We just need to get the birthing rags out of here, but your mom will take care of that."

"How are you feeling?"

"Tired, and sore between the legs, but you don't need to worry. Just remember - sex is off-limits for a couple weeks." Astrid slipped off of the bed and pecked her husband on the lips.

"Of course, bedhead. Now, go get your bath, then come back in here and get some rest. I'll look after the kids for the rest of the day. You just worry about lying down. I'll wake you up when Ingrid gets hungry."

"Sounds good. Thanks, babe."

"No, thank _you_. For the little one, I mean. For all three of our little ones."

The blonde smiled. "It's not a problem. Like I said, I'll carry however many babies I need to - just so long as they belong to you."


	20. Marriage Talk

**_Marriage Talk_**

 ** _..._**

"Hiccup, are...are you okay?" Astrid asked as she landed Stormfly on a cliff of Dragon's Edge, where Hiccup was seated beside Toothless. He was staring across the water, one hand mindlessly scratching the Night Fury's head, and the other lying in his lap.

The auburn-haired Viking turned at the sound of his best friend's voice. "Oh, uh...hey, Astrid." He forced a smile.

"What's wrong?" A worried expression crossed the girl's face. After quickly dismounting her dragon, she plopped down beside Hiccup.

"It's...it's my dad. First he's trying to insist I need to start training to be chief, and now he's trying to push me to find a wife. He says nineteen is too old to not have a wedding planned." Sighing, he buried his face in his hands.

"Oh." Astrid frowned. "Well, who does he want you to marry?" Her fingers found their way into her friend's hair, and she began the process of twisting a small section of it into a tiny braid.

"He says he wants me to choose. But if I don't have anyone by the end of the summer, he's gonna start asking around when he visits other islands."

"Well, do you like anyone?" The blonde raised an eyebrow.

"Erm...well, uh...you see, there's this one girl, but I...I don't know if she'd...if she'd accept my offer. She doesn't really seem like the um...marrying, cooking, cleaning, having children type." He scratched the back of his neck.

A pang of jealously swept through Astrid. "Who is she?" she asked, a bit more harshly than intended.

"Never mind."

The two sat in silence while Astrid finished off Hiccup's braid.

"It's weird to think of myself married," the auburn-haired Viking started eventually. "I mean, I guess all of us are gonna get married someday." He paused. "Well, maybe not all of us. You seem uh...you seem pretty devoted to staying a shieldmaiden."

Astrid's cheeks turned red. "Erm...uh...well, I would like to be a shieldmaiden, but you know...um...there is one Viking that I wouldn't mind marrying, but..." She shrugged as she trailed off.

"And who is this? Do you have a secret boyfriend that I don't know about?" Hiccup narrowed his eyes.

"Oh, no, no." She shook her head. "He's not my boyfriend. He's...he's just my best friend."

Now, it was his turn to blush. "Hey, what a...what a coincidence. I uh...I wouldn't mind marrying my best friend, either." He let out a short chuckle.

For a few seconds, their gazes met, and small smiles played on their lips.

"I mean, I'd feel a lot better if she was in bed next to me every night, so I wouldn't have to worry about erm...uh...her sneaking away from Berk to go on early morning flights," Hiccup went on.

"And how do you know she would give that up?" Astrid crossed her arms over her chest.

"Well, you know, being in bed with me, she wouldn't...she wouldn't be able to get enough of all this raw Vikingness." Letting out another chuckle, he gestured to himself.

"Hey, don't get your hopes up." She gave him a friendly nudge. "I'm not giving up my sunrise flights that easily. But I will drag you with me sometimes."

A wide grin spread across Hiccup's face. "So, does this...does this mean...erm...does this mean that you'll marry me?"

"I never said I'd marry you." Astrid's words, which came from lips with an equally wide smile, were followed by a gentle punch on the arm as she struggled to keep her joyful tears from flowing down her cheeks.

"Um...yeah, I uh...I was...I was kinda erm..." He began to turn red again.

"Oh, don't be ridiculous, Haddock. Of course I'll marry you." Without warning, she embraced Hiccup and buried her face in his neck.

The auburn-haired Viking returned Astrid's hug. "Hey, it's okay. Don't cry. I'm not _that_ bad of a guy to be stuck with, am I?" he asked at the feeling of a tear hitting his skin.

"I...I love you," she said, gripping him tighter.

"I love you, too, milady."

The two sat there for longer than they could remember, simply enjoying the act of being in each other's arms. When they finally broke apart, it was because Toothless was nudging his rider, reminding him that it was nearing lunchtime.

"So, should we...should we go back to Berk and tell your dad?" Astrid asked, wiping her moist eyes with the back of her hand. "If we hurry, we could probably get there by sundown."

Hiccup shook his head. "Nah. It can wait until morning. For now, let's just go enjoy a nice meal together. At my place."


	21. Wedding Day

**_Wedding Day_**

 ** _..._**

 **A sequel to the engagement oneshot. There is some kinda sexy stuff near the end. Nothing super graphic but I did include the start of their consummation just be she's irs an important milestone for them considering they were both virgins until marriage. Also, happy Independence Day! I'm uploading this now because I don't know what my schedule will be like the rest of this holiday weekend.**

 **...**

Hiccup grinned as Astrid's arm brushed against his. They were currently sitting in the Great Hall, enjoying the feast that was the first part of their wedding ceremony. Valka had wanted to cook, but thankfully the young chief had talked her out of it, and so the bride, groom, and the rest of the village were eating lamb chops, sautéed cabbage, potatoes, and yak butter parfaits - all of which were made by Fishlegs and his parents. Mead was the beverage of choice. After all, what would a Viking feast be without mead?

However, the soon-to-be newlyweds had more on their minds than the feast. Hiccup couldn't stop thinking about how beautiful Astrid looked in her wedding attire. She was wearing a sleeveless, pale blue dress that hugged her body in all the right places and grazed the top of her moccasins, which had been bleached white. She'd left her hair down, and Valka had helped her put in a small braid on each side of her head. The two braids had then been pinned together in the back, allowing them to intermix with her loose, wavy blonde locks. She always looked pretty, but at this moment, she was downright gorgeous.

The young chief's mind then wandered to what would happen after the ceremony. He and Astrid would be escorted to the Haddock house by a few select Vikings - Valka, Gobber, Fishlegs, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Snotlout. The escorts would watch them go into the master bedroom before leaving them in peace. After that, he and his new wife would consummate the marriage - a concept that was both exciting and terrifying to him.

He didn't want to mess anything up, and most definitely didn't want to hurt her. He'd heard that the first time was always painful for the woman, but that didn't make him feel any better about the possibility of causing her discomfort. And what about undressing? Was he supposed to undress first? Was he supposed to help her slip out of her dress? Also, where was he supposed to touch her? Did he need to ask before he put his hands on her skin, or would she be expecting that?

Little did he know, Astrid was also thinking about consummation. She very much wanted to give Hiccup her virginity, but the idea of undressing in front of him made her nervous. If she had to pick anyone to see her body, it would be her best friend and soon-to-be husband, but that didn't stop her from worrying that she wouldn't meet any expectations he might have. What if she was too flat-chested? What if he'd expected her to wax, like so many Viking women did?

She was also scared that she wouldn't know what to do to him. She knew that he'd probably stroke her _down there_ in preparation for when he entered her, but she wasn't sure how to please him. She didn't know if heated kissing would satisfy him, or if he'd expect her to give him pleasure in places other than his mouth. But how would she go about that? And then there was the most pressing concern: what if he was too big for her? How embarrassing would it be if he couldn't slide all the way in? She quickly took a sip of her mead, hoping that no one had noticed her blushing cheeks.

...

"Let it be known," Tuffnut began. Hiccup and Astrid were standing before him, facing each other. Toothless sat beside them with a grin on his face. A crowd gathered around the four, waiting in anticipation of the officiating of the union. "Let it be known that Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, son of the deceased Stoick the Vast, and Astrid Hofferson, daughter of the deceased Freya..." He paused. "Wow, so much death."

Hiccup glared at his friend. "Just keep going, Tuff."

"Let it be known," Tuffnut restarted. "That Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, son of the deceased Stoick the Vast, and Astrid Hofferson, daughter of the deceased Freya, are now joined together in marriage, a union that cannot be broken except for in the depths of Valhalla."

At the completion of those words, Hiccup quickly bent down to capture his new wife's lips with his own.

"You may continue kissing the bride," Tuffnut said.

The crowd cheered. Valka, Gobber, and Snotlout wiped a few tears from their eyes.

"Are you _crying_?" Ruffnut asked Snotlout as she narrowed her eyes.

"No. Maybe. Don't judge me!" responded the dark-haired Viking. "It's just...I'm sad that Hiccup got married before I did." He sniffled. "Yeah...that's it."

"Shut up!" Tuffnut shouted.

Everyone grew silent.

"And now, may I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Hiccup Haddock." Grabbing the newlyweds' shoulders, he turned them around so that they were facing the audience.

The crowd let out another cheer. This time, their cheering was accompanied by dragons firing into the air.

Toothless gave his rider's arm a friendly nudge before licking his face.

"Toothless!" scolded Hiccup.

Everyone laughed.

"And my husband has dragon slobber all over his face after less than five minutes of marriage," Astrid said, speaking quietly enough so that only the young chief could hear.

"Oh, come here, you." Grinning, Hiccup drew his wife into another kiss before wiping some of the saliva off of his cheek and smearing it onto Astrid's.

The crowd cheered at the kiss.

The blonde narrowed her eyes. "You're gross."

Hiccup simply chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. He'd done it. He'd married his best friend, the girl he'd fallen in love with, the girl who used to have her heart set on being a shieldmaiden. He prayed to Thor that he'd do a good job of making her happy. If he messed up, and she ended up regretting her decision to marry, he'd never forgive himself. After all, Viking unions were forever. If she'd decide that she wanted to escape from the marriage, she wouldn't be able to. Not to mention, after she lost her virginity, she could never change her mind about her lifestyle and become a shieldmaiden - even if he died.

Similar fears haunted Astrid. She loved Hiccup with all her heart. After all, she'd given up the idea of being a shieldmaiden for him. But there was only one problem - she didn't have the skills to be a good housewife. She couldn't sew, she could barely cook, and the idea of becoming a mother terrified her. Kids were cute and all, but she had no idea how to care for them. The fact that Valka had never mastered cooking gave her some comfort, especially since Stoick had clearly loved her until the day he died. But it didn't completely erase her fears.

"And now, we dance!" Tuffnut's voice cut into the newlyweds' thoughts. "So, find a partner and let's go!"

Hiccup gazed into Astrid's eyes before taking her hands and attempting to lead her in a dance. Neither of them really knew how dancing was supposed to be done, but they had to try. Otherwise, they'd never hear the end of it from the villagers, who were obsessed with keeping traditions. Sure, Hiccup had broken a lot of traditions in his lifetime - and would most likely break many more in his years as chief - but the wedding tradition was one that nobody would ever let him move away from.

"Congratulations, son!"

The groom stopped dancing at the sound of his mother's voice behind him. "Thanks, Mom," he grinned.

"I just can't believe that my little boy is all grown up!" Valka exclaimed with teary eyes as she wrapped Hiccup in a tight, motherly embrace. After she finally released him, she hugged Astrid. "And my daughter-in-law! Congratulations to you, too, dear."

"Thanks, Valka," Astrid said.

"It's Mom," corrected the older woman, pulling away from her. "Call me Mom."

"Okay, Mom."

"That sounds much better." Valka smiled.

...

After a few hours of dancing, more feasting, and celebrating, most of the guests had either left the celebration or were too drunk to care about what was going on.

"I...I think Astrid and I are gonna head home," Hiccup told Valka with a yawn. Astrid was beside him with tired eyes.

Valka smiled. "Alright, dears. Go ahead."

"You're not walking with us?" He raised an eyebrow.

The Viking woman shook her head. "No, you and Astrid love each other. Whatever's gonna happen between you two will happen on its own."

"Bye, Hiccup!" Snotlout shouted. "Have fun getting it on tonight!"

"Snotlout!" Hiccup scolded before leading his wife in the direction of the Haddock house. _Their_ home.

Astrid sighed as she stepped through the door. "I'm so tired," she announced, kicking off her shoes.

"Well, if you don't wanna do anything tonight, we uh...we don't have to," Hiccup said. He rubbed the back of his neck.

"No, I...I want to." She blushed.

The young chief rubbed the back of his neck. "Oh...okay. Well, let's...let's go up to bed, then."

Astrid bit her lip. "Yeah, let's...let's go."

Placing a hand on her back, Hiccup walked upstairs alongside her.

"Wow," the blonde said upon catching sight of her husband's bedroom - well, _she_ and her husband's bedroom. "You...you got a bigger bed."

"Yeah, I figured we'd need the extra space. You know, because there's two of us." He walked to the bed and, sitting in the edge of the mattress, pulled off his boot. "Well, what are you waiting for, milady?"

Astrid made her way over to join her husband. "Are...are you nervous?" she asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I'm...well, okay," he sighed. "I am a little nervous."

She smiled. "Good. That makes us even."

After exchanging loving glances with one another, Astrid leaned in to kiss Hiccup's lips. The kiss led to another, then another, then another, each one more passionate than the last. Eventually, she dared to slip her hands beneath his top, running her fingers along his stomach and chest while their tongues explored each other's mouths.

"Let me help you with that," the young chief mumbled through the lip lock. Breaking away from her, he lifted his tunic over his head.

"Oh, gods," she said, taking a deep breath as she took in the sight of his lightly defined abs and freckled shoulders. "You're...you're sexy." A light blush covered her face.

"Thanks. I'm...I'm sure you're sexy, too." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"I don't know about that." Astrid placed a palm on his chest, while the other hand traveled down to unfasten his metal leg.

"Well, let's find out, then." Smirking, Hiccup motioned for his wife to turn around. Once she did so, he gently gathered her hair and draped it over her left shoulder before struggling to unbutton her dress. He then slipped the material off of her shoulders, but stopped when he felt her trembling. "What's wrong, Ast?"

"It's...it's nothing."

"You're shaking. Are you...are you still nervous?"

"A little," she admitted, looking into her lap.

Hiccup leaned over her shoulder to kiss her cheek. "Do you wanna stop?"

The blonde shook her head. "No. I...I want this." She twisted around to look him in the eye.

Nodding in acknowledgement, he continued to slide the sleeves of the dress off of her arms, then proceeded to unknot her breast bindings with uncertain fingers. "So uh...can I...erm...could I unwind them?"

Astrid smiled and guided his hand to one of the loose ends of the fabric.

"Oh, Thor," Hiccup remarked as he began to undo the bindings. "How much of these are there?"

"Enough," she shrugged.

When the last of the cloth was finally removed from her body, Hiccup stared at his wife's chest with wide eyes and a pounding heart. "Sexy...sexy is right," he finally mumbled, gently pushing her onto her back. Bending down, he briefly brushed his lips against each of her rosy nipples.

In between kisses and gentle caresses, the two fumbled to finish undressing each other. Once that task was complete, they finished off the consummation with red cheeks and awkward stammers. It wasn't the wonderful thing that everyone had claimed it to be. It was painful for Astrid - who bled - and Hiccup finished too soon. However, knowing that they had the rest of their lives to perfect the act, they didn't dwell too much on the less-than-amazing first time they'd just experienced.

"Come here," Hiccup murmured, crawling beneath the furs and wrapping his arms around Astrid's bare middle from behind. After kissing the space beneath her ear, he rested his chin on her shoulder. "You sure you're okay?"

The blonde nodded. "I'm fine. Are...are you okay?"

"I'm not the one who was bleeding," he responded.

"It was nothing. All women bleed their first time." She twisted around to face him. Running her fingers through his hair, she kissed his jaw. "Stop worrying."

"I'll stop worrying when you're in Valhalla," Hiccup grinned.

"Be quiet, babe." Flashing him a playful glance, she gave him a gentle slap on the chest. "Now, let's try to get some sleep." She yawned and cuddled against him. "We gotta be at the Great Hall early tomorrow for the morning gift."


	22. Morning Gift

**_Morning Gift_**

 ** _..._**

 **Here's another part to the wedding oneshot. Again, this contains mild adult themes because Hiccstrid are still new to everything. Again, it's not graphic. Also, would you guys want to see pregnant Astrid? Like pregnant with her first baby and Hiccup gets really protective?**

 **...**

Astrid awoke to a burning sensation between her legs. At first, she couldn't figure out why she was in pain. But after yawning and rubbing her eyes, she noticed that she was naked, and that Hiccup was lying beside her, equally naked. Blushing, she pulled the furs over her chest as she smiled at the thought of the day before. They were _married_. Nothing could tear their union apart until one of them was called into Valhalla. But at the same time, it felt weird to think of the fact that they'd had sex after the ceremony. She'd always been told not to give away her virginity, that sleeping with a man would ruin her purity - a virtue which shieldmaidens were expected to keep. For that reason, she felt a bit dirty for making love to Hiccup. At the same time, though, giving her virginity to him was the best decision she'd ever made.

Letting out a sigh, she smiled at her husband's sleeping face. He looked so peaceful, innocent, and almost child-like. The last thing she wanted to do was disturb him, but she knew she needed to get up and ready for the morning gift ceremony. After gently brushing his hair off of his closed eyelids and kissing his forehead, she leaned over the side of the bed and grabbed his tunic from the night before. Slipping it over her head, she climbed off of the mattress, tiptoed to the door, and quietly exited the room.

After making her way down the stairs, Astrid walked into the washroom. She'd seen it before, but she still couldn't get over how elaborate it was. Growing up as part of a poor family, she'd typically had to bathe in a hidden stream. On the occasions she did get to have a bath inside, it was in an old, small wooden tub that was placed near the fire with a blanket hung in front of it for privacy. Despite that it was near a fire, the water had always been freezing, and she'd had to wash up while she shivered violently.

The Haddock's washroom seemed to be a much better place for bathing. A large tub sat in the middle of the open space. The tub looked large enough for both herself and Hiccup to use at the same time, and she quickly took note that they should take a bath together sometime. It was already filled with water. All she had to do was call Toothless in to warm it her. There were shelves on the wall that contained bottles of various oils and bubble baths, baskets of flower petals, and bars of soap. Small stacks of fluffy towels rested on the counter.

Astrid wandered over to the shelves and, grabbing a few bottles of oil, opened them one at a time to take in their scents. She eventually decided on one that smelled like peppermint. She then summoned Toothless, who had been sleeping in the living room. As he heated the water, she poured some incense into it, followed by bubble bath. She finished by scattering a handful of rose petals on the surface. Once the Night Fury had completed his task, she scratched him on the head to thank him. Letting out a purr, he nuzzled her hand before leaving her in peace. The blonde shut the door behind him before grabbing a towel and a bar of soap to keep by the edge of the tub. She then removed Hiccup's tunic and sank into the warm, refreshing water.

...

 _Knock, knock._

"Ast?" Hiccup's voice drifted through the door.

"Yeah, I'm here," Astrid called, snapping out of the state of relaxation she'd been in. After washing herself, she'd decided to take time to sit back, close her eyes, and enjoy some peace and quiet.

"Could I erm...could I come in?" he asked.

"Go ahead," came the blonde's response.

The young chief slowly opened the door and grinned at the sight of his wife nearly neck-deep in bubbles and rose petals. "Well, look at you. I see you found the bath stuff I got for you."

"You got all this for me?" Astrid's mouth fell open in shock.

"Most of it. There were a few oils here before I knew you'd be moving in, but the bubbles and petals and other oils I got because I thought you'd like using them."

"You...you didn't have to," she insisted.

Hiccup came over to sit beside the tub. "But I wanted to, milady." He kissed her cheek. "By the way, I didn't hurt you _too_ much last night, did I?"

Astrid shook her head. "I'm fine, babe. Really."

"Will you do it with me again sometime?"

"Of course. I mean, we have a whole week to ourselves. What else would we use it for?" Hiccup had asked Gobber to take charge of the island for a week so he and Astrid could enjoy some uninterrupted alone time after their wedding.

"True." He grabbed the towel that was sitting on the floor. "Want me to warm this by the fire for you? It'll only take a few minutes."

"Now you're just spoiling me," the blonde insisted.

"I'll warm it for you," Hiccup decided. "I'll be back." Taking the towel, he left the room. When he returned, he handed the item to Astrid, who asked him with blushing cheeks to turn his head while she stepped out of the water. He assured her that she didn't have anything to be ashamed of, but still complied with her wishes.

"Thanks, babe," Astrid said, clutching her towel around her body as she walked out of the room.

...

Hiccup and Astrid were standing in the Great Hall. A crowd surrounded them, but it was significantly smaller than the crowd from the previous day. The newlyweds assumed that a lot of Vikings were feeling the after-effects of the mead they'd drunk at the wedding ceremony.

"And now," Tuffnut, who was behind Hiccup and Astrid, began. "Please direct your attention here while the wonderful bride and groom exchange their shiny gold rings." He held out his hand, on which there was a pair of rings.

The crowd cheered.

Astrid took one of the rings - a gold band with her and Hiccup's initials carved inside of it - and slipped it onto her husband's finger. Hiccup then grabbed the other ring, which looked like his aside from being a bit thinner and having a tiny diamond attached to it, and slid it onto Astrid's finger.

"And now, Hiccup will give Astrid the morning gift," Tuffnut announced. "So Hiccup, let's get gifting."

Letting out a chuckle, the young chief walked to the table in the center of the room and pulled a long, thin chest out from underneath it. "Here you go, milady," he said, handing the item to his wife.

Astrid took the chest and, placing it on top of the table, lifted the lid. Inside, there were two handfuls of gold coins, a new axe, and a piece of paper. Taking the paper, she began to read silently:

 _To my beautiful new wife,_

 _Do you remember the cove, where I first took you for a ride on Toothless and you first kissed my cheek? Well, it's all yours now._

 _Your husband,_

 _Hiccup_

A huge smile spread across Astrid's face. "You didn't have to do this for me. Thanks, babe." She threw her arms around his middle.

Everyone clapped, and a few "awwws" could be heard.

"And that, my fine fellows, concludes the lovely marriage of Chief Hiccup. And Astrid. Yeah, her, too," Tuffnut said before throwing his hands up in the air.

The crowd cheered.

There was a breakfast feast following the ceremony, but the newlyweds didn't attend. Fishlegs, foreseeing that they'd want some alone time, had put together platters for them to take home, for which they were grateful. They were still tired from the day before, and didn't feel like being bombarded with questions and congratulations from the people of the village. They thought that going back to their house, eating their breakfast platters, taking a nap, and then going on a relaxing flight together was much more appealing.

...

"I'm so sleepy," Astrid yawned, kicking off her shoes. She and Hiccup had just finished eating, and were getting ready to have a nap.

The young chief let out a tired sigh and, sitting on the edge of the mattress, removed his boot and unfastened his metal leg. After taking off his tunic, he settled in beneath the covers and turned onto his side to see Astrid in just her underwear, her bare back facing him as she tossed aside her dress. Due to the messy braid she'd put in when they'd gotten home, he could see a series of scars on her pale skin - something he hadn't noticed while they were making love. He'd seen the one on her right shoulder, the one below her breasts, and the three on her left thigh, and even the faint birthmark by her belly button. But he hadn't noticed the marks on her back. Grinning, he reached over to finger one that was by her shoulder blade.

"What are you doing, babe?" Astrid asked, not turning around.

"These scars," murmured Hiccup. "I...I didn't notice them last night."

"They're just my battle scars," the blonde shrugged. "Nothing special."

"Hey, every mark on your body is special to me."

Astrid blushed. "I...I'm honored to hear that." She slipped her nightgown over her head before curling up under the furs and leaning in to kiss her husband's lips.

"Have a good nap, milady," Hiccup said, wrapping an arm around her waist.

She yawned and snuggled into his side. "You too, babe."

The newlyweds quickly drifted off to sleep. When they awoke - well, when _Astrid_ awoke - she was lying on her back. Hiccup was still happily snoozing, his face nuzzled in between her breasts. One of his hands gripped her right breast, and what remained of his left leg hugged her own.

"Hic," she said, gently shaking his bare shoulder.

The young chief's eyes cracked open. "Hey," he greeted in a sleepy voice.

"Hey. Your um...your hand..."

"Oh." He hurriedly pulled his hand away. "Sorry, milady."

"I never said that I didn't like it." Smirking, Astrid cupped his chin and fiercely kissed his lips.

"Are you...you sure you wanna try this again?" Hiccup asked eventually, panting as he broke away from the kiss. "You...you're not too sore?"

She nodded. "I'm sure."

With that, the two fumbled to get each other's clothes off, engaging in foreplay as they went. This time around, they were slightly less timid than they'd previously been. They both felt more free to hungrily touch and kiss one another in places no one else was even allowed to see, and tough Astrid - who hated to show signs of weakness - gladly let out a loud moan as her husband, while stroking her _down there_ , found a spot to finger that made her feel like she was in Valhalla. Hiccup, of course, was proud that he was able to make her moan, that he could make her lose control of herself, and that she felt _comfortable_ losing control of herself in front of him.

"Oh, gods," the blonde gasped.

"You like this?" Hiccup asked, moving his fingers faster.

Astrid nodded. "Y-Yes. I...I..." She broke off as her body shook, a satisfying feeling spreading down her legs and into her toes, which curled with pleasure. It was a feeling she'd never felt before, yet she knew exactly what it was.

"You good?"

"Better than good."

The young chief laid down beside her and pressed a kiss into her hair.

"I'm just...I'm sorry I finished before...before you know, you could..."

"Don't be sorry. I finished too soon last night. Besides, you're still sore. I doubt it would've been pleasant for you to have me inside of you when you're still recovering. And you deserve to be able to enjoy sex...even though we didn't get to the actual sex part this time."

"But you deserve to enjoy it, too."

Hiccup pulled up the covers and wrapped an arm around his wife's waist. "Believe me, I am enjoying it. Maybe we aren't perfect at it yet, but I like learning with you."

"I like learning with you, too. And eventually, we will get it perfect." Smiling, Astrid cuddled against his chest and used her thumb to draw circles there.

"Mmm." He ran his fingers through her blonde locks, which had come loose from their braid at some point while they were being intimate.

For a while, all that could be heard was the couple's steady breathing. Neither of them were falling asleep; they weren't tired since they'd just taken a nap. Instead, they simply lay there, enjoying the feeling of bare skin on bare skin.

"I love you," Hiccup said eventually. This was the first time one of them had spoken those three words since the day they'd gotten engaged. It wasn't that they didn't love each other, it was that they were better at showing their feelings through actions rather than words. But now, the day after their wedding, a few hours after the celebration had come to an end with the giving of the morning gift, the young chief had decided that it was an appropriate time to tell his new wife that he loved her.

Astrid looked up into his green eyes. "I love you, too," she responded before pressing her lips to his. After they kissed, she snuggled back against him and let out a contented sigh as he rubbed her hip with his thumb.

He grinned. This was a side of her that he rarely saw, and had never seen this intensely until the present. She was usually tough, and enjoyed teasing him or punching him. Even the previous day, she'd seemed a little reluctant to let herself go completely soft. He assumed it was because they'd both been nervous about their first time. But now that they'd begun feeling more relaxed around each other, she was almost becoming a different person. And that was okay with him. He liked this after-sex Astrid. But he also still adored her adventurous, daring, and fiercely independent side, which he knew she'd show as soon as they went into battle or explored together - or even when they went on a flight.

Another spell of time passed, but the peace couldn't last forever. Toothless could be heard scratching at the bedroom door, begging for his rider to come out of bed and give him attention.

"I think someone wants you." Astrid let out a soft giggle and pressed her lips to her husband's forehead.

"Yeah, I hear him. We can go on our flight now, if you want."

"Sounds good. And I can make us dinner when we come back." The blonde rolled off of Hiccup and, pulling one of the sheets around her body, slipped off the edge of the mattress and walked over to the dresser to find her everyday clothes.

"I can help you with dinner." The young chief fastened his metal leg, slipped into his underwear, and joined his wife at the dresser.

Once the two were clothed, Hiccup saddled Toothless, while Astrid went outside to summon Stormfly.

"You ready?"

The blonde turned to see Hiccup behind her, already seated on Toothless' back. Nodding, she mounted her Deadly Nadder and urged her into the air. "Hope you can keep up!"

Grinning, Hiccup shook his head as he rose into the clouds. This was the Astrid he was familiar with, the one that everyone knew. And he liked that. But he also liked knowing that she would soften up again next time they were in bed.

"Come on! What are you waiting for?" she shouted, looking over her shoulder at her husband.

"Toothless, faster!" Hiccup commanded. As the Night Fury obeyed his command, he soared past Stormfly and her rider. "Who's the slow one now?" he asked.

Astrid smiled as she realized that their relationship wasn't going to be much different now that they were married. They were still best friends, allies in battle, and adventure partners. The only changes were the fact that they had rings on their fingers, they lived together, and they were able to have sex. And in her mind, that seemed like a pretty good deal.


	23. Reflections

**_Reflections_**

 _ **...**_

 **Hiccup reflects on how happy he is to have his family:) Rated T for some implied thoughts about the kind of thing guys think about, lol. Also, sorry I was away so long. I started school, I moved, and I started a training program at my job.**

 **...**

Hiccup grinned as Astrid let out a contented sigh and pressed her bare body against his. Even after five years of marriage, he still couldn't believe that the girl he'd had a crush on since he was ten - and then later fell in love with - was his. He could hold her hands, kiss her lips, and make love to her whenever they both wished, and there was no one to stop him. Well, sometimes the children were a bit of a hinderance to the last activity, but he couldn't get mad at them because first of all, they were adorable, and secondly, _she_ had given them to him.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and began to rub circles onto her hip with his thumb. He knew that the moment they were having probably wouldn't last long; they'd soon have to get dressed and switch from being lovers who'd just ended a passionate session of intimacy to parents would need to change diapers, wipe away tears, and resolve childish arguments.

Astrid's eyes closed as Hiccup bent down to brush the blonde hair off of her face and kiss her forehead. It was usual for her to fall asleep after making love, and he wasn't going to stop her. He liked the feeling of her soft skin against his. It made him feel special. Not only did she trust him enough to lose control of herself when he pleasured her, she also trusted him enough to sleep naked beside him. He knew that no other guy had been privileged enough to even see her like that, much less to lie next to her. Not even any women had seen her like that. Astrid had always been too self-conscious to use the public bathhouses, as she knew that Vikings could be cruel sometimes. Yet she felt comfortable enough to completely reveal herself to him. If that wasn't an ego boost, he didn't know what was.

He slowly peeled the furs away from her skin and smiled at the sight of her body. Her stomach was bloated, her breasts were a bit saggy, her nipples were bigger and darker than they'd been when he'd first seen her naked on their wedding night, and her thighs were thicker than usual. But he didn't mind. In fact, he thought that five-months-postpartum Astrid was beautiful, because her body had changed in order to give him his first daughter - baby Ingrid - who was sleeping in the cradle beside the bed, her poor, innocent mind unaware of what her parents had just done.

His fingers traced the stretch marks on her tummy, which were leftover battle scars from the first two kids. Stoick and Finn were upstairs, asleep after a long day of running around outside and causing trouble around the Haddock house. Both of them had been surprise babies, but welcome nonetheless. Astrid had discovered she was pregnant with Stoick only four months after her and Hiccup's wedding. He'd been born on Snoggletog, three weeks sooner than expected, and a little under two months shy of his parents' first anniversary.

Finn had perhaps been an even bigger surprise. Astrid had been told that she couldn't conceive while nursing, but nine months after Stoick's birth, she'd noticed that her baby weight was increasing instead of decreasing. Upon visiting Berk's healer, she had discovered that she was almost finished her first trimester of pregnancy. Finn had been born three months after Stoick's first birthday.

After having the two boys, Hiccup and Astrid had decided to try for a girl. It took longer for Astrid to get pregnant than when they hadn't been trying, but it had eventually happened. And sure enough, they'd found out when the baby was born that they'd been blessed with a daughter. They wanted another girl, as they felt that it was only fair for Ingrid to have a sister since her brothers had each other, but were planning to wait until the infant was at least one year old.

Hiccup let out a happy sigh at the thought of his kids. He didn't know how he'd gotten lucky enough to have a beautiful wife whom he loved to death and who loved him back just as fiercely. He _really_ didn't know how he'd gotten lucky enough for her to give birth to three children. _His_ children. _Their_ children. They were all so cute, the boys with freckles sprinkled across their noses and adorable grins, and Ingrid with her big green eyes and chubby baby cheeks. Besides, he saw Astrid in them, and that made them even more precious to him.

Smiling to himself, Hiccup fingered the birthmark that rested amongst the other marks on his wife's stomach before tugging the covers back over her body. Just as he was starting to close his eyes in an attempt to join Astrid in sleep, he heard Ingrid begin to fuss. Carefully slipping off of the mattress so as not to wake the snoozing blonde, he pulled on his abandoned leggings and fastened his metal leg. He then made his way over to the cradle and peeked inside of it.

"Hey, what's wrong, baby girl?" he cooed.

Ingrid looked up at her father with pleading eyes and let out a loud whimper.

"Come here," Hiccup said, gathering her into his arms. His nose wrinkled at the foul smell that hit him. "Oh gods, I think you need a diaper change. Let Daddy take care of that for you." Most fathers would be reluctant to change diapers, but Hiccup didn't mind all that much. Maybe it's because he'd done it so many times before. Or maybe it was because he didn't want his kids to be uncomfortable. Either way, he willingly completed the task, which pleased Astrid.

After cleaning up the infant, he cuddled her to his chest and kissed the top of her head. "You good now?"

Ingrid whined.

"What's up, cutie?"

"Give her to me." Astrid's groggy voice interrupted the "conversation" that her husband was having with their daughter. "She's probably hungry."

"Yeah, I guess I can't help you with that," Hiccup concluded, smoothing Ingrid's hair. "Go to Mama." He passed the baby to Astrid, who had just slipped into her underwear. He watched as she guided Ingrid to a breast.

"That's it. You eat. Get some pressure off of Mama's chest," Astrid murmured. "You know, soon we're gonna start giving you some big girl food," she added as the infant began to suckle.

Hiccup sat down beside his wife and kissed her lips, then bent down to kiss his daughter's head. "You are so cute," he murmured. "You know that?" He turned back to Astrid. "And you, milady, are just downright beautiful. Beautiful _and_ sexy."

"I'm glad you find my bloated stomach and stretch marks sexy," the blonde said with a smirk. "Because I don't think I'm ever gonna look the way I did before having the kids."

"And that's okay. I didn't marry you for your body, after all. That's just a bonus." He slid behind Astrid and, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind, rested his head on her shoulder as she finished nursing Ingrid. Once she was done, he took the baby from her. "Let's get you back to bed," he murmured.

Ingrid turned her sparkling green eyes to Hiccup's face. Grinning, she shoved a fist into her mouth.

"Yes, I know you're a cutie. You're a cutie that needs to go back to sleep," he said.

The infant laughed. However, her good mood didn't last long. The second her father tucked her in amongst the baby blankets, she started to fuss.

"Hey, it's nighttime. We sleep at nighttime. Daddy will still be here in the morning. And so will Mama. And Stoick and Finn."

"Just leave her be, babe," Astrid said while she slipped her nightgown over her head. "If you keep talking to her, she's really not gonna go to sleep."

Hiccup sighed. As much as he hated the idea of leaving Ingrid to cry, he knew that his wife was right, and so he reluctantly turned around and, after taking off his metal leg, climbed into bed.

"She's just extremely tired and cranky," Astrid said. "She'll fall asleep soon. If she doesn't, then we'll know that something's actually wrong."

"Can't we bring her into our bed?"

The blonde shook her head. She'd never been a fan of having the kids in bed with her and Hiccup. Sure, she'd let them in if they'd had a bad dream, or if there was a loud storm, but that was her limit. She wanted them to learn that bedtime was her time with her husband. Hiccup, on the other hand, had a weakness for every pout and whine the little ones gave him, and would allow them to cuddle up in bed with him and Astrid anytime they wanted if only his wife would agree to it.

"Poor baby," he mumbled, trying his best to block out Ingrid's cries as he wrapped his arms around Astrid's waist.

"Oh, stop being so soft-hearted," the blonde scolded playfully.

After letting out a sigh, Hiccup fell silent. It was only a matter of minutes before his daughter did the same.

"See?" whispered Astrid. "Told you she'd stop. Mothers are _always_ right."

"Well, I do have to admit that you _are_ a great Mama...the best on Berk, I'd say." He leaned down to kiss her lips, one of his hands moving down to squeeze her bum as he did so.

"And you're an amazing Daddy. Even if you do try to give in to the kids too often."

"Hey, it's not my fault that they're cute."

"Technically, it is, because they have yourgenes."

"No, the cuteness is all from you, milady. I just hope my baby girl doesn't grow up to be as beautiful as you. The last thing that I want is guys thinking about her in ways they shouldn't."

"She's not even a year old yet. We won't have to worry about that for a long time."

"I know." Hiccup sighed. "I just can't help but worry now." He ran his fingers through his wife's hair.

Astrid smiled. "Don't. Because I'm sure you'll scare away any boys who go near her before they even have a chance to think inappropriate things."

"I hope you're right." He buried his nose into her blonde locks, which were still a bit damp with sweat from the couple's recent activities, and pressed a kiss amongst them.

"Don't put your mouth on my sweaty hair," she said. "That's gross, babe."

"Hey, my mouth has been on your -"

"There's a baby in the room," she reminded him.

"A _sleeping_ baby," he retorted.

Astrid sighed. "Just because she's being quiet, doesn't mean she's asleep yet." With a yawn, she snuggled in closer to her husband.

"The only time our kids are quiet are when they're sleeping," Hiccup insisted. "But that's okay. They're cute, and they're yours, so I can't get mad at them." He leaned down to press a lingering kiss onto the blonde's lips.

"Was that a goodnight kiss?"

"It can be." He grinned. "Goodnight, Ast."

"Goodnight, babe."

Hiccup watched his wife close her eyes before allowing his own to shut. He was soon sound asleep, yet he didn't dream. There was no use in dreaming when all he could wish for was what he already had in reality.


	24. Daddy's Baby Girl

**_Daddy's Baby Girl_**

 ** _..._**

 **Hiccup's daughter is growing up, and he's not taking it too well.**

 **...**

Hiccup sighed as he watched his crying daughter storm upstairs to her room for the third time that week. Typically, Ingrid was such a sweet little girl. But lately, she hadn't been herself. Instead of acting like the kind, adventure-loving child she was, she'd taken to smart-mouthing her parents, crying over every tiny thing, and obsessing over her appearance. She wasn't as eager to go on flights with her father than she'd been a few months ago. She'd rather spend time with her older brothers, especially when they were hanging out with Lars Thorston.

"What's wrong, babe?"

The chief turned to see Astrid standing behind him. "Did you see what just happened? All I did was tell her that she couldn't go out until she finished her chores, and she rolled her eyes and stomped up the stairs. I can't take her attitude anymore! I mean, I know she's been bad lately, but this week has been absolutely ridiculous!" He threw his hands up into the air.

"Hic," Astrid said, placing a hand on her husband's shoulder. "Go easy on her. She...she started bleeding for the first time yesterday. Her emotions are gonna be all over the place for a few days."

Hiccup stared at the blonde with wide eyes. "She...she...she _what_?"

"She got her first period," Astrid rephrased quietly. "And that's a scary thing for a fourteen-year-old girl, especially when she hasn't yet learned how to cope with all the mood swings."

"No. You...you're kidding. She's still a baby." Shaking his head, Hiccup sunk into a nearby seat.

Astrid cast him a sympathetic smile before settling in beside him and lacing her fingers with his. "I know she's always been your little girl, but she's growing up, babe."

"She's not allowed to. It's bad enough seeing Stoick engaged. I don't need Ingrid to leave, too. _Especially_ not Ingrid." The chief paused. "Are you sure...are you sure it wasn't just blood from...from something else?"

"I'm sure."

The room fell silent. For a few minutes, all that could be heard was the sound of children - the youngest Haddock included - playing outside.

And Hic, you should probably also know that I...I also taught her how to bind her chest a few months ago," Astrid cautiously admitted.

"Why? She doesn't need to do that yet."

"Would you rather have all the boys on the island staring at her?" Astrid retorted.

"I'll kill anyone who looks at my baby like that." Hiccup squeezed his free hand into a tight fist.

Letting out a soft laugh, Astrid leaned up to kiss her husband's cheek.

"And you...you've had _the talk_ with her, too, I'm assuming." He shook his head at the thought of Ingrid hearing things that he still believed her to be too young and innocent to know about.

Astrid nodded.

"If she has sex, I'll kill -"

"I know. You'll kill the boy she has it with, then you'll ground her for life." Astrid rested her head on his shoulder. "But I don't think we need to worry about that. She's a smart girl. And besides, she told me that sex doesn't sound like fun."

"Well, let's keep her thinking that way until she's married. And maybe even beyond marriage."

Astrid laughed. "I think that's being a little ridiculous, babe. How would you have liked it if my parents had said that they didn't want us to do anything after we got married?"

"But it's different when it's you."

"Not really, babe. I was an innocent little girl once, too."

"And you grew into a _very_ sexy woman," he responded with a smirk.

Astrid smiled. She loved that almost twenty years and four kids later, her husband was still as attracted to her as he'd been on their wedding night. "By the way, can I ask you a quick question?"

"Of course, milady."

"How do you feel about having two hormonal women in the house?"

"What? Two?" Hiccup clutched the side of the chair and sat upright. "But Erika -"

Astrid smiled. "I'm not talking about Erika. She still has a good four or five years yet."

"Then who..."

"I'm talking about myself, babe."

"Oh, come on. You're not _that_ bad."

"I get pretty bad when I'm pregnant."

"But you're not pregnant."

The blonde looked him in the eye. "Don't be so quick to make assumptions."

The chief chuckled as he shook his head. "Very funny joke, milady." After Erika's birth, Astrid had been told that she wouldn't be able to have any more children. Seeing that almost ten years had passed since the youngest Haddock was welcomed into the world, it seemed that the diagnosis was accurate. Well, it _had_ seemed accurate.

Frowning, the blonde lightly punched her husband's arm.

"Ouch! Ast!"

"That's what you get for not believing me."

Hiccup's eyes grew wide. "Wait, so you're really..."

Astrid smiled and nodded. "Yes. I'm pregnant."

"But how..."

"Well, when a man and a woman -"

"I know how, but...but _how_?" Despite his bewilderment, a huge grin spread across his face.

"I guess miracles happen," the blonde said, smiling back.

Grabbing her waist, Hiccup leaned in to kiss her. Before either of them knew it, their tongues were tangling together and his hands were underneath her shirt.

"Uh...Mom? Dad?"

The happy couple broke apart to see Ingrid standing in front of them, horror written all over her face.

"We're sorry, munchkin," Hiccup began with a reddening face. "We uh...we just got a little carried away." He called all his kids "munchkin" when they were little, but the name had stuck for Ingrid.

"I thought you guys were too old for that kind of thing," Ingrid said, wrinkling her nose.

"When you're in love, you're _never_ too old to enjoy your husband," Astrid explained with a smile. "You'll understand someday."

"What did I just say?" retorted Hiccup. "My baby girl will never -"

"Dad, I'm not a baby anymore," interrupted Ingrid. However, despite her words, she climbed in between her parents and, with tears slipping down her cheeks, hugged her father's neck.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked, returning the embrace.

"I...I...I just want you to love me like you did when I was little." Ingrid sobbed.

"I do love you, munchkin."

"But you keep yelling at me for everything and I feel like I'm never good enough!"

Astrid reached out to place a reassuring hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Come here, sweetie."

Ingrid turned and hugged her mother.

"Honey, you're Dad's first daughter that he needs to watch grow into a young woman. Not only is it scary to him, he also doesn't know what happens when girls are your age. Remember what we talked about yesterday? How girls get really moody when they're becoming adults? Well, that doesn't happen to guys. And Dad's not used to it. When he gets angry, he's not really angry at you. I think he's just frustrated that he doesn't quite understand everything."

"But I don't mean to talk back sometimes. It just happens, and it got worse since yesterday."

"I know. And it's normal to feel like you lost control of yourself, especially when it's your time of the month. But as you get older, you're learn how to manage yourself better. I already talked to Dad about going easy on you. Now, I'm also gonna tell you to go easy on him."

"I don't like growing up. My stomach has been cramping all day and Lars didn't even say hi to me yesterday at training. I hate boys."

Astrid let out a quiet laugh. "I'll go make you some tea to help with your cramps. And about boys, sometimes you need totaled the initiative because they're too clueless to do so themselves. Dad and I liked each other for three years and he didn't say anything because he was scared I'd reject him, even after I kissed him three different times. You'd think he would've gotten the hint, but he didn't."

"I wanted to be positive, Ast! I didn't want to ruin the friendship!" Hiccup insisted.

"And he's still trying to defend himself." The blonde shook her head before releasing her daughter. "But anyway, let me go start the water for your tea. We can have more boy talk when Dad's not around."

"What?" Hiccup exclaimed. "No, no boys for you, Ingrid. Ast, don't you even think about encouraging it."

"Babe," Astrid began as she started to make her way to the kitchen. "What did we just talk about?"

"I love you, munchkin," the chief said, pulling Ingrid close to him and kissing her strawberry blonde hair.

"I love you, too, Dad." Ingrid buried her face in his shoulder, as she'd used to do when she was a little girl.

"And just so you know, I really am gonna try to be more understanding. Just try to be patient with me. And no boys."


	25. Snow Day

**_Snow Day_**

 ** _..._**

 **I don't really do smut anymore, but people have been asking for more pre-baby Hiccstrid, so I wrote, and this just kind of happened. So read at your own risk. If you're under 18, you should probably skip this one. I apologize for the change from my usual rules...next one will probably be another cute family fic or something.**

 **SUMMARY: Hiccup and Astrid love snow days on Berk. Their dragons? Not so much.**

 **...**

Not only was it exactly two months since Hiccup and Astrid had married, it was also Hiccup's first time declaring an official snow day on Berk. The snowstorm had begun the night before, and now, the next day, the whole island was blanketed in three feet of ice and snow, and more flakes were still falling.

The children on Berk always got restless when they were cooped up inside. So did the dragons. Snotlout had spent the past two hours trying to stop Hookfang from burning down the Jorgensen house. Poor Meatlug was just snoozing by the fire, sad that she and Fishlegs couldn't go outside and play Toss the Sheep. Barf and Belch were fighting amongst each other, as were the twins. But perhaps Stormfly and Toothless had it the worst. They were stuck pacing the floor downstairs while listening to an entire morning of Hiccup and Astrid gasping and moaning from up in their lofted bedroom.

The snow day had been perfect timing for them. Astrid had just finished her time of the month, and having gone over a week without intimacy due to both that and Hiccup's chiefing schedule, the two were finally able to satisfy their urges.

"Thor's hammer, I don't know how we lasted without this all the way until marriage," Hiccup panted, pulling his wife on top of him and pressing a lingering kiss onto her lips.

"I guess we didn't miss it because we didn't know how good it felt." Rolling off of him, Astrid wrapped one of her legs around his and let out a small sigh as her cheek rested against his chest. "But really. We're still newlyweds. We should try to make time for this more often."

"I agree." The young chief wrapped an arm around her and kissed the top of her head. "We need to be more creative. Like we could do it in the dragon stables. Or the cove. Or while flying."

"While _flying_?" repeated the blonde. "I'm not sure how that would work, but we should definitely try it."

As if on cue, Toothless and Stormfly began stomping -probably in protest - on the floor downstairs.

Hiccup groaned and responded to the ruckus by mimicking a Night Fury mating call. This earned an angry growl from Toothless, but it was thankfully followed by silence. Stormfly followed his example.

Astrid laughed. "You know, when we have kids, it won't be this easy to get them to stop bothering us."

"And that's why it's just you and me right now," grinned Hiccup, giving her butt a gentle pat. He and Astrid had decided that they wanted to try to wait a couple years before having children. They wanted time to enjoy each other, and settle into their new roles as husband and chief, and wife and chief's wife. Of course, they did realize that conception was always possible, and wouldn't be mad if a baby showed up sooner than planned.

"There you go again, touching my butt," the blonde remarked, a playful smile on her lips.

"You know, this butt was a nice surprise for me. I never noticed how nice it was until I saw you naked. Same with your breasts. You bind them so tightly that you look almost flat, but you've actually got a nice handful. Not too big, not too small. The perfect size for my hands. Of course, if you really were flat, I'd love you just the same."

"Well, I don't need to show off my figure to the rest of Berk. And since we're talking dirty, I might add that I didn't expect you to be as big as you are. I mean, I didn't think you'd be tiny, but when I first took your pants off, I wondered how in the world you were supposed to fit inside of me. I also didn't realize how muscular you are."

"You've seen me shirtless before we got married."

"Yeah, but not for a while. You really built up some muscle in the past year or so. Not that I'm complaining. I like it. And your chest hair isn't anything to complain about, either. Enough to make you look like a man, but not so much that you resemble a yak. And the hair between your legs is hot, too. You have a _lot_ , and I love it. Oh, and the trail at your belly button? Mmm."

"Well, yours is blonde, and if that's not the sexiest thing, then..." Hiccup trailed off as he began to mindlessly trace the edge of Astrid's nipple with his calloused thumb. "And your nipples...my gods."

Astrid giggled and blushed a little. "But back to your hair," she said eventually. "Have you ever thought about growing a beard?"

"A beard? Dear Odin, there's a lot of things my dad did that I admire, but having a long, braided beard isn't one of them."

"No, not like that. Just a small one. Maybe a bit of scruff. I don't know." She shrugged. "I think it would look sexy."

The young chief sighed. "I'll add it to my list of suggestions. I guess I'll have to start a new category for self-improvement."

"No pressure," Astrid said. "I just think it would look good on you."

"Well, if I consider a beard, can you consider leaving your hair down more often?" Hiccup ran his fingers through her long, loose locks.

"As you know, a Viking woman's hair is kind of sacred, babe. I'll leave it down for you all you want, but in public? I don't know how I feel about letting others see me like that."

"Fair enough. I mean, I kinda like feeling exclusive."

"Good." She seductively hooked her leg more tightly around his and rubbed herself against his thigh.

"Hey, what are you doing?" he asked.

Astrid responded with a smirk.

Smirking back, Hiccup said, "Here, let me help you out, milady. Fingers or tongue? Your choice."

"Oh, gods. Can I have both?"

"Wow, someone's feeling adventurous today," the young chief remarked. He pulled back the covers and, kneeling over Astrid, pressed wet kisses onto her forehead, nose, lips, neck, nipples, belly button, and hips. He then delivered a kiss amongst the curls between her legs before running his tongue over her damp folds. Some guys didn't like using their mouths "down there," but Hiccup loved it. He loved her taste, her moans, the way she screamed his name. She definitely wasn't afraid to be vocal during sex, and he admired that about her.

The blonde panted as her husband's thumb found the perfect spot. "My gods, Hic," she groaned. "Oh, my gods."

Hiccup soon replaced his thumb with his mouth, which Astrid clearly approved of.

"Yes, yes, lick harder...I...I..." she stammered.

He slipped a finger inside of her while his tongue continued to work its magic. As her moans grew louder and louder, he started to suck on her sensitive flesh.

"Hiccup!" yelled Astrid. "My gods...my...my gods...oh, dammit, my gods..." She broke off at the feeling of a powerful orgasm shaking her body. He saw that she was at her climax, but didn't draw his mouth away, causing her to wiggle around and gasp from unbearable pleasure. For a few moments after that, she was speechless.

"You okay?" the young chief asked.

"Better than okay," she panted eventually. "My gods. Oh, my gods." She shook her head. "I don't know how I'm supposed to follow that."

Hiccup opened his mouth to reply, but before he could do so, Toothless let out a mocking mating call, followed by a growl.

"I think he's making fun of us," said Astrid.

"Yeah, he probably is," Hiccup agreed with a laugh.

"Maybe we should go see how they're doing down there," the blonde suggested. "I mean, it's probably past noon by now."

"We could," agreed the young chief. "But before we do that, I believe you mentioned following me." He winked.

Astrid smiled. "Of course, babe," she agreed, sliding in between his legs and drawing his erection between her lips.


	26. The Side Effects of Pregnancy

**_The Side Effects of Pregnancy_**

 ** _..._**

 **Astrid's pregnancy is getting to her, and Hiccup doesn't quite understand what she's going through. This is her first time pregnant:) My theory is that the first is the hardest, the second is fairly easy, the third is Hiccup's favorite because it makes her want sex all the time, the fourth is moderate, and the fifth is easy at first, but then becomes hard closer to the due date since the baby's at risk/is born early. But yeah, this is the first time. Poor Hiccstrid.**

 **...**

As Hiccup walked through the door, he was met with the sight of a five-months-pregnant Astrid sitting in her favorite chair, dressed in leggings and breast bindings and eating what appeared to be yak ice cream topped with honey and onions. The ice cream was smeared around her mouth, and her bare feet were tucked underneath her. Her hair was in a messy braid, and her eyelids were free of their usual eyeliner.

"Good evening, milady," the young chief greeted, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder.

Astrid shoved another scoop of ice cream into her mouth. "Hey, babe," she said, barely glancing up at Hiccup. "There's yak and pickle sandwiches in the kitchen if you're hungry."

Hiccup raised an eyebrow. "Yak and _pickle_?" he questioned.

The blonde nodded. "That's what I said. They're really good. And so is this ice cream."

The young chief sighed. "You know, Ast, I was...I was sort of hoping for a...you know...a _hot_ meal. Without pickles."

"It's too hot to cook on the stove," Astrid said.

"It's barely spring," he pointed out.

"Well, I'm pregnant," she retorted, shooting him a glare. "And until you carry another human being in your body, feel like throwing up every other morning, are constantly tired, have acne all over your forehead, sweat buckets after going for a ten minute dragon ride, and are producing milk like a damn yak, I don't wanna hear it. Go cook your own dinner if you want something hot."

Hiccup groaned. He immediately knew that he shouldn't have said anything, but he also felt that Astrid should stop lashing out at him for every little thing. When she'd first found out she was pregnant, she'd made him sleep on the floor because he'd said that he didn't want her riding Stormfly for the safety of the baby. When she was three months along, she'd yelled at him because he'd tried to initiate sex when she wasn't in the mood. When she was four months along, she'd stopped talking to him for two days because he'd told her that her stomach was getting to be the size of Snotlout's. And now, at five months along, she was mad at him because he wanted a hot meal after a long day of work. It just wasn't fair. Sure, she was pregnant, but he was tired, sexually frustrated (it had been a _month_ since they'd had sex), and hungry for something warm.

"Why are you still standing here?" asked Astrid.

"I...I'm sorry," he tried.

She laughed. "I'll believe that when yaks fly."

"No, Astrid. I...I'm really sorry. I'll eat the sandwiches."

"I don't want you to eat them after this. I'm gonna go eat the rest of them myself."

Hiccup narrowed his eyes. "Then what...what am I supposed to eat?"

"Good question," she said. Finishing the last of her ice cream, she stood up and headed into the kitchen, where she took the sandwiches from the table and began to devour them.

The young chief peeked at his wife. Her leggings hugged her hips and butt, showing off her curves that had become more prominent with pregnancy. Her growing belly stuck out over the waistband of the leggings, and her breasts, though tied down by her bindings, were clearly larger than they'd been before she got pregnant.

"What are you looking at?" demanded Astrid, her mouth half-full.

"I'm just thinking about how we're gonna have one good-looking baby," he grinned.

The blonde, still annoyed at her husband, was about to give a smart response. But before she could, she felt a little kick inside her belly. Another one followed it. Happy tears began to run down her cheeks, and she threw the remains of the sandwiches onto the table and ran over to Hiccup. Throwing her arms around him, she buried her face in his shoulder.

"What? What's wrong? Is it the baby?" asked Hiccup, pulling her close.

"He...he kicked!" Astrid exclaimed, lifting her head.

The young chief saw that, despite her tears, she had a huge smile on her face. "He kicked?"

She nodded. "Here. Feel him." Taking Hiccup's hand, she placed it on her stomach. A few minutes later, the unborn baby kicked again.

"Not bad for a baby who hasn't even been born yet," remarked Hiccup. "He's gonna be a fighter, just like you." Grinning, he pressed a wet kiss onto her cheek. "And Ast," he continued after a pause. "I really am sorry for being a mutton-head. I know it must be hard to carry a baby. At least, I know I'm glad that being pregnant is your job and not mine."

"Yeah, you wouldn't even make it through the first month," Astrid laughed.

"Hey, I'm not _that_ weak," he insisted.

"Hmm, I don't know about that." She gave him a playful slap on the chest. "By the way, you can have what's left of my sandwiches. I'm gonna go have a bath."

"Can I join?" Hiccup asked eagerly.

Astrid considered for a minute. "Well, I could use some help washing my back."

"Alright. Let's go, then." Shoving the remains of his wife's partially-eaten sandwiches into his mouth, Hiccup lifted Astrid off the ground and carried her bridal-style into the washroom, where he placed her in the tub. Because she was always hot due to pregnancy, she didn't like to heat the water, but preferred it to be at room temperature.

"Hiccup!" she exclaimed, standing up and struggling to peel off her wet leggings.

The young chief watched as she undressed while he did the same. Once naked, he climbed into the tub and smiled as his equally naked wife settled between his legs and leaned her back against his chest.

"Babe, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for how I acted earlier, too," she said, looking up at him.

"Don't worry about it." He wrapped his arms around her - his hands resting on her belly - and kissed her lips. "I kinda deserved it." He paused. "And I should really be doing a better job of taking care of you. I mean, look at Fishlegs and Ruffnut. She's not even pregnant, but he makes her dinner, rubs her feet, gives her gifts..." Fishlegs and Ruffnut had just married a month ago.

"Yeah, but that's them. They're into that kind of stuff. Fishlegs likes the idea of babying, and Ruffnut apparently enjoys it. We're more into just...you know...being best friends and having adventures. And it's frustrating that I can't adventure with you like I did before I was pregnant."

"I know. But it's only for a little while. After the baby's born, and after you wean him, we'll give him to my mom for a week and go explore. Just the two of us. Sound good?"

Astrid nodded. "We should go to the Edge."

"I agree. We can relive our adventures there." He sighed. "We had so many battles, Dagur and Heather fought, Fishlegs and Ruffnut thought they were married for a day, we made out for the first time..."

"I remember that," the blonde smiled. "And yet we still told everyone that we were just friends."

"Yeah. We even told ourselves that. What a lie." He shook his head. "But we're married now, so that's all that really matters."

"Babe," Astrid started after a pause. "Do you think I'll be a good mother?" This question was one that had bothered her ever since she'd discovered that she was expecting, but this was the first time she was daring to ask it aloud.

"Of course you will, milady. Yeah, you're a strong and determined warrior, but you can also be loving and caring. Look at how you took care of me when I had the stomach flu couple months ago. And I remember a few years back, when the dragons were all sick from the blue oleanders, you were the first one to pick up and cuddle a Terror. Our baby will be lucky to have you as a mother." As he spoke, he began to undo his wife's braid.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive. You're gonna be great."

After sharing a kiss, the two started to wash both themselves and each other. Once they were finished, they wrapped up in towels and ascended the stairs to their lofted bedroom. There, they dried off, and without even bothering to dress, climbed beneath the covers of their bed and cuddled close, their bare limbs tangling together.

"He kicked again," Astrid announced, placing a palm on her belly.

"The little warrior," Hiccup said, kissing the top of his wife's head before bringing a hand to rest beside hers. "You're gonna be a great Viking, tiny one," he murmured to the baby. "And I should probably thank for proving it when you did. Otherwise, I'd be sleeping on the floor tonight."


	27. Happy Family

**_Happy Family_**

 **...**

 **Merry Christmas! Here's some Christmas fluff for you. It's not completely edited so it's still a bit rough, but it's still fluff nonetheless. Also, I'm updating Imperfections soon in case anyone was wondering - hopefully this week.**

 **...**

Hiccup smiled as little Stoick grabbed the baby spoon out of his hand and began shoveling pudding into his mouth. "What, you wanna feed yourself, bud? Daddy wasn't doing a good enough job?"

The ten-month-old baby responded with a messy-faced grin before sticking both his hands in the bowl of pudding that sat before him.

"Don't do that, Stoick," groaned Hiccup.

Stoick laughed and placed his fingers in his mouth, allowing the pudding on his wrist to fall into his lap. "Aba!" he babbled.

"What, bud? What are you trying to say?" Hiccup reached over to ruffle Stoick's hair.

"Mamama."

"You want Mama?"

Stoick's clear blue eyes met his father's green ones. "Mama!"

"Well, Daddy's gonna put you in the bath with her when you're done eating. You're a mess."

Laughing, Stoick put a soggy hand in his hair.

"Come on, munchkin. Use your spoon." The young chief picked up the spoon and tried to feed his son, but Stoick simply grabbed the utensil and shoved it into his mouth himself.

"Dada aba," the baby said.

"What about Daddy?" asked Hiccup.

"Aba ba ba Dada!" Stoick threw his spoon onto the ground.

"All done?" Hiccup carefully lifted his messy child out of the high chair and carried him into the washroom, where he was met with the sight of a pregnant Astrid scrubbing her hair in the bath. "I have a bath buddy for you," he said, placing Stoick on the ground and beginning to remove his stained clothes.

Astrid looked over at her son. "What happened?"

"I let him feed himself pudding," explained Hiccup. Once the baby's things were discarded, he handed him to Astrid, who cuddled him against her chest and began splashing water onto him.

"And you got all messy?" the blonde asked Stoick. Propping him up on her knees, she lathered her hands with soap and started to scrub his messy red hair.

Stoick wriggled a bit and let out a few small fussing sounds.

"What's wrong, sweetie? Are you cold?" crooned Astrid, pressing Stoick to her chest again as she rinsed both the soap and the pudding out of his hair.

"Well, I'll just leave you two -" Hiccup began to walk towards the door.

"Don't leave, babe," interrupted Astrid. "He's almost done, and then I'm gonna give him to you so that I can finish my bath in peace."

"Okay," the young chief agreed, coming to sit beside the tub.

"Mama!" Stoick exclaimed. He then looked up at his mother's face and reached out a hand to grab a chunk of her wet hair.

Astrid caught her son's hand. "No," she scolded firmly. "That hurts Mama."

The baby whined.

"Be nice," she said, kissing Stoick's forehead before continuing to bathe him. Once finished, she passed him to Hiccup.

"Alright, bud. Let's go get your pajamas on," Hiccup said. He carefully wrapped the baby in a towel and exited the room, briefly looking back over his shoulder to give his wife a smirk and a wink.

"Don't forget, babe, put socks on him. It's cold," Astrid called after him.

Hiccup carried Stoick into his bedroom, which he'd just started sleeping in a month ago. Up until that point, he'd slept in a cradle beside his parents' bed. "Aww, you're shivering, munchkin," he remarked as he felt his son's body shaking beneath the towel. Kissing his head, he brought him close to the fireplace, where he dried him off and dressed him in warm pajamas.

"Aba Dada!" shouted Stoick.

"What? What do you want, bud?" the young chief asked. "Do you wanna hear a story? Let's hear a story." He grabbed a blanket and Stoick's stuffed Night Fury before carrying the child to his rocking chair and sitting him on his lap. There, Stoick eagerly grabbed the toy and started to chew on one of the dragon's legs as his father tucked the blanket around him.

"Aba ba," the baby babbled.

"Yeah, you have your stuffed dragon," Hiccup crooned, hugging Stoick. "Well, while you eat his foot, Daddy's gonna tell you a story." He went on to tell his son about his first Snoggletog with Toothless. When he was finished, he looked up to see Astrid standing in the doorway, a smile on her face. She was in her bathrobe, and her damp hair was draped loosely across her shoulders. Her feet were bare, and her arms were crossed in front of her chest in an attempt to warm herself.

"I think you put him to sleep," the blonde said gently.

Hiccup looked down at Stoick, who was snuggled against him with his eyes closed. He then turned his gaze back to Astrid. "Go get dressed, milady. You look like you're freezing. I'll be there after I put him to bed."

"Okay. Thanks, Hic. Just make sure to give him an extra blanket," Astrid responded before walking away.

"Come on, bud. Let's get you into bed." Hiccup gently carried Stoick to his crib, tucked him in, kissed him, then blew out the candle that was burning before making his way to the master bedroom.

"He's okay?" Astrid asked, slipping her nightgown over her head.

"Yeah, he's fine," the auburn-haired Viking replied. He took off his tunic and tossed it aside. Then, sitting on the edge of the bed, he removed his metal leg before settling in beneath the furs.

Astrid followed her husband's example of climbing into bed. "You gonna be warm enough, babe?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Hiccup replied, blowing out the bedside candle and rolling over to wrap his arms around the blonde and kiss the sensitive space beneath her ear. "You alright? And the baby's okay?" He rested a hand on her baby bump.

"Mmm-hmm."

"You tired?"

"Yeah. Stoick was a handful today." She sighed. "Thanks for hanging out with him tonight, though. I needed that little break. I know you're tired from chiefing, but -"

"I love father-son time whether I'm tired or not," insisted Hiccup. "Just like I always love spending time with you." He bent his head to press a sloppy kiss onto her lips.

"Mmm." The blonde wriggled out of his arms and turned around.

"What?"

"Turn around and let me be the big spoon, please." Astrid didn't mind being the little spoon (and she was usually stuck with it), but that night, she wanted to be able to press her cheek against the bare skin of Hiccup's back, and trace his faintly defined muscles with her fingers.

Hiccup complied, and smiled as his wife wrapped her arms around him and snuggled into his back. As usual, she fell asleep within minutes, the sound of her quiet snoring giving away the fact that she'd slipped into slumber. He knew that he'd go to sleep shortly after to the noise of her mumbling something or other while she slept, and wake up with her limbs hopelessly tangled with his. She'd try to pull him closer in her sleep when he attempted to free himself, then wake up to give him a good morning kiss when he won the little battle. If she was in the mood, she'd initiate love-making after the kiss. That was how things always went, and he liked them that way. He liked her love, her touches, her efforts to make him feel loved.

But above all, he liked that he had a family. A whole family. No missing parents, but a complete trio of a father, mother, and son. And soon, a fourth little one would be added, and he couldn't wait.


	28. Aging

**_Aging_**

 ** _..._**

 **After twenty-one years of marriage, Hiccup and Astrid are still in love. Ages: Valka, 64; Hiccstrid, almost 42; Stoick (Hiccstrid's child, not Hiccup's dad), 20; Finn, 19; Ingrid, 17; Erika, almost 13; Little Hic, 10 months:)**

 **...**

"Is the baby in bed?" Hiccup asked as his wife entered the washroom. He was sitting in a hot bath, relaxing after a busy day of chiefing.

"Not yet. Erika's rocking him for me, though," Astrid replied. Letting out a small sigh, she began to remove her armor.

"What are you doing, milady? I thought you were gonna wash my hair for me."

"I am. But I thought I could jump in there with you while I'm at it." Her shoulder pads and spiked skirt now discarded, she started to undo her braid.

The chief grinned. He loved when Astrid joined him in the bath. On occasions, they'd have sex in the tub, but mostly, they simply soaked in the warm water, enjoying the relief it brought to their sore muscles. While they soaked, they'd work knots out of each other's shoulders and talk about whatever came to mind.

Astrid placed her hair tie on top of her armor before grabbing a brush and working through her knotted locks, which had lost some of their shine as a result of aging. She didn't have any grey yet, but she felt that it could show up any day. But at the same time, other than her muscles constantly aching, she still felt as young as she'd felt when she was twenty.

Hiccup watched while his wife shed her clothes. Her stomach and breasts were a bit saggy as a result of bearing their five children, her thighs were thicker than they'd used to be, and she had stretch marks on her hips and bum, but he didn't mind. In fact, he loved her imperfections, especially since they were signs of having carried their kids. As chief, he could legally divorce Astrid and marry a young maiden who was at the height of her childbearing years and could give him a youthful body and more kids, but he had no interest in that. He was more than happy with the family he had.

"Mmm." Astrid closed her eyes as she sank into the water. She sat there in silence for a few moments before gently pushing her way behind her husband and starting the process of washing his hair. It was Viking custom for wives to wash their husbands' hair outside, but the Haddocks didn't follow that ritual all the time. On days such as this one, they preferred to carry it out in a more private, intimate way.

Now, it was Hiccup's turn to let out a moan at the feeling of Astrid's hands massaging his scalp and lathering his hair. Slowly, he laid his head against her chest, fighting not to fall asleep. Although he was just nearing forty-two years, he felt that he was getting too old for chiefing. No wonder Stoick had wanted to retire at fifty.

"Has Little Hic's fever gone down?" he asked eventually. Ten-month-old Hiccup Horrendous Haddock IV, nicknamed Little Hic so as not to confuse him with his father, had been sickly since birth. He'd arrived a month early, and for the first two weeks of his life, his family had questioned whether or not he would live.

"A little. We still need to keep an eye on him, though." Astrid moved her hands from Hiccup's hair to his shoulders, which she began to massage.

"And is Ingrid still out with Lars?" Lars was Tuffnut and his wife Brenna's son, and seventeen-year-old Ingrid's boyfriend.

"Yeah."

"I hope she doesn't stay out too late. She has dragon training in the morning."

Astrid leaned forward to kiss Hiccup's lips. "She won't. I gave her a curfew."

"That doesn't mean she'll listen."

"Well if she doesn't, she'll be grounded." The blonde scooped water into her hands and started rinsing her husband's hair. Once finished, she went back to rubbing his shoulders.

"Ow!" Hiccup exclaimed as Astrid pushed on a large knot near his neck.

"Stop being a baby. It has to come out so you don't feel stiff anymore." She continued to work out the knot. After she was done, she washed his back before shifting in the water to settle in between his legs.

"Alright, it's your turn," Hiccup said, gathering his wife's hair and gently guiding her down until she was leaning against his stomach, her blonde locks submerged in water.

"Give me a massage first," Astrid insisted.

The chief began to knead her shoulders and back. "Starting to feel better?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"How were classes today? Did the kids listen?" Astrid taught dragon training classes at the Academy, and was frequently faced with unruly students.

"They weren't too bad. I think they knew I was stressed out about Little Hic's fever."

"Yeah, when I went to pick him up from Mom's, she told me he was burning up this afternoon." Although Valka was in her mid-sixties, she still enjoyed babysitting for Hiccup and Astrid. "She said she even tried giving him a cool bath, but it didn't help much."

"I know. He was terrible earlier. He nursed for a good hour after breakfast just because he was trying to find comfort." Little Hic was supposed to be done breastfeeding, but there were still some instances where he wanted to nurse.

Hiccup lathered his hands and started to wash Astrid's hair. "So I caught Shoutlout spitting in the well today," he said after a pause. Shoutlout was Snotlout and Heather's youngest child, and their only son.

The blonde shook her head before leaning back to rinse the suds out of her locks. "Those Jorgensens. You've seen one of them, you've seen them all."

"I think you're forgetting that our son is married to a Jorgensen." Stoick had married Kari, the oldest of Snotlout's children, seven months ago. Kari was expecting a baby in half a year's time.

"I know, but Kari's a sweetheart. I mean, she was a handful when she was younger, but she matured nicely."

When Astrid sat upright again, Hiccup wrapped his arms around her stomach and leaned his chin against her shoulder, his small beard tickling her skin. "I still can't believe we're gonna be grandparents," he said.

The blonde sighed. "Yeah. That really makes me feel like an old lady."

"Don't worry. You're still as sexy as you were when we got married."

Astrid smiled and intertwined her fingers with her husband's.

The two sat in the water for a little longer before climbing out of the tub, drying off, and putting on their robes. They then made their way to the master bedroom, where they found Little Hic sleeping in his cradle.

"Hey, honey," Astrid crooned, placing a hand against the baby's forehead. To her relief, he felt cooler than he'd felt all day.

"Is he -" Hiccup started.

"He's getting better," the blonde assured before undoing her robe and climbing into bed.

"Good." Hiccup took a quick look at his son before following Astrid's example of removing her robe and settling in beneath the covers. Before he did so, however, he removed his metal leg.

The couple snuggled close, enjoying the familiar feeling of bare skin on bare skin. Now that they were older, nakedness more often than not didn't end in sex, and that was okay with them. They were more than satisfied with first taking advantage of how comfortable and open they'd grown with each other over the course of their marriage, and then also taking advantage of the fact that their kids were all too old to barge into the bedroom except Little Hic, who was too young to comprehend what was going on.

Hiccup wound his arms around his wife's waist from behind. "Goodnight, Ast."

"Goodnight." Astrid let out a sleepy sigh as she craned her neck and kissed her husband's lips.

The two were about to fall asleep when the front door opened, indicating that Ingrid had made it home safely. Her arrival was acknowledged first by Toothless, who let out a loud purr, and then Erika, who asked her sister if Lars had kissed her goodnight.

"He did," was Ingrid's response. Her tone was the one used only by young lovers who were just starting to realize their love for one another.

"Hey," Hiccup whispered in Astrid's ear.

"Hmm?" the blonde mumbled.

"I love you."

"I love you too, babe."


	29. Valentine's Day

**_Valentine's Day_**

 ** _..._**

 **It's Hiccstrid's first Valentine's Day as husband and wife and Astrid wants to make it special. I was hoping to finish this by Valentine's Day but it didn't happen so I'm posting it in honor of RTTE instead. No spoilers, and please don't leave any in the reviews. I'm only to episode 4:)**

 **...**

Astrid softly hummed to herself as she toweled off and wriggled into a pair of underwear and one of her husband's tunics. This was part of what she loved about being married; after a long day of teaching classes at the Academy, she was able to go home, wash up, and put on Hiccup's clothes, which were significantly more comfortable than her own. She didn't have to worry about her parents looking at her with raised eyebrows or friends bursting in the house (knowing their friends, Hiccup had purposefully installed a lock on the door before the wedding). The only person who would be seeing her in the faded, slightly-too-large-and-falling-off-the-shoulder tunic was her husband, and needless to say, he didn't mind. In fact, he loved when she wore his clothes.

After combing through her tangled hair and quickly pulling it into a braid, Astrid made her way to the kitchen. She wasn't a big fan of cooking, but she was trying to get better for Hiccup's sake. And today was special because it was their one month wedding anniversary, as well as their first Valentine's Day together as husband and wife. She planned to make mutton, steamed cabbage, mead, and a yak butter cake with berry frosting. She'd never made mead before, as she and her husband weren't huge drinkers, and her baking skills were worse than her cooking ones, but she still hoped that everything would turn out to Hiccup's satisfaction.

Astrid tossed Stormfly a piece of chicken before pulling the mutton out of the icebox and placing it over the fire. She then began to chop cabbage. Everything seemed to be going smoothly. That is, until the knife met her finger, and blood instantly fell onto the cabbage shreds.

The blonde was no stranger to blood; she'd gotten scraped on the chest when she was five and all the little Vikings were playing on the beach. Snotlout had been showing off with his new sword, and had managed to harm her with it. To this day, she still had a scar at the top of her right breast. When she was eight, she'd taken a nasty fall while rock climbing, which resulted in stitches and a large scar on her knee, as well as a smaller scar on her elbow. That was just the beginning of her injuries. Over the years, she'd cut her fingers, her toes, and her forehead, and suffered from a few burn scars on her back. No, blood wasn't a concern to her. The concern was what she was going to do about the cabbage. She could salvage some, but it probably wouldn't be an adequate amount for two.

Groaning, Astrid rushed to the washroom and cleaned out her wound. After dressing it, she returned to the kitchen, only to realize that blood had already started soaking through the bandage. As she went back to the washroom, she let out an exasperated sigh.

"Ast?"

The blonde froze at the sound of her husband's voice. He wasn't supposed to be home this early. He was supposed to be chiefing for another two hours.

"Astrid?"

She could hear him opening their bedroom door in search of her. "I'm in the washroom, Hic," she announced. "I'll be out in a minute." After applying pressure to ensure that her blood would stop flowing, she wrapped her finger in rags for the second time and reluctantly emerged from the room. Upon walking into the living room, she was met with Hiccup's smile.

"Do you feel like getting changed?" the young chief asked, letting out a small chuckle at the sight of the blonde in his tunic. "I thought we could go take a flight."

"What are you doing back so early?" Astrid questioned, trying not to sound too disappointed.

"Can't a guy just want to spend quality time with his wife on Valentine's Day?" Hiccup turned to Toothless, who was standing beside him, and scratched his head. "That's not so wrong, is it, bud?"

The Night Fury let out a purr.

"Can we go after dinner? I...I think a sunset flight would be nice."

"I'm bringing dinner with us. I went to Fishlegs' place this afternoon and made chicken sandwiches and potatoes. I thought we could have a picnic. But if you don't want to -"

"No, it's not that I don't _want_ to. It's -" Astrid broke off as the smell of burning meat reached her nose. "I'll be back." With that, she rushed into the kitchen and flipped the mutton. She thought she might be able to keep her dinner a secret, but when she turned around, Hiccup was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest, looking over the scene of burning mutton and bloodied cabbage. He then caught sight of his wife's bandaged finger.

"Everything okay?"

The blonde groaned. "This was supposed to be a surprise Valentine's Day dinner for you," she explained. "And I was also doing it for our one month anniversary. But as you can see, it didn't go quite as planned. I cut my finger, you came home early and already had plans, the mutton burnt..." Trailing off, she sank into a chair and buried her face in her hands.

Hiccup came over to sit beside Astrid and place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Hey, it's okay," he soothed.

No response.

"What's wrong?" the young chief asked after a pause. By this point, his wife had lifted her head, but still hadn't made any effort to speak.

"I was...I was talking to some of the elders last week," Astrid admittedly quietly. "And they...they told me I wasn't a good wife. They said that good wives don't go out on patrols, don't do combat training, and don't teach kids how to ride dragons. They said I should be making more effort to serve you. I asked what they meant, and they said it meant spending more time inside and making sure you always have hot meals, and cleaning every day, and washing your clothes. They said they heard that we eat cold lunches, and that it was wrong for me not to cook something hot." She shook her head. "I tried not to let them get to me, but it was...it was hard. So I...so I decided to make a special dinner today."

As she was speaking, Hiccup's eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me about this right away?"

"Because I can handle myself. At least, I thought I could."

"Astrid, we're a team. If something is bothering you, no matter how big or small you think it is, I want you to tell me. And for the record, you're an amazing wife. I didn't want a woman who was too attached to the house. I wanted one who would adventure with me, and challenge me, and be my best friend. I don't need maid service."

The blonde gave her husband a small smile.

"Oh, come here, you," Hiccup said, holding out his arms. When Astrid leaned into him, he wrapped her in a tight embrace. "I love you, milady."

"I love you more, babe."

"I don't know about that."

Just then, Toothless entered the room and began licking both Hiccup and Astrid's faces.

"Stop it, bud!" Hiccup exclaimed. "You know that doesn't wash out!"

Toothless let out an amused sound.

"Okay, so are we going flying?" the young chief asked, releasing his hold on his wife.

Astrid nodded. "Yeah. Let me just go put some real clothes on first. And while I'm doing that, do you mind taking that awful mutton off the fire? We can give it to the dragons."

At the words "mutton" and "dragon," Toothless' ears pricked up, and he hungrily licked his lips, causing both Hiccup and Astrid to laugh.

"Yeah, I know, Toothless. Just save some for Stormfly," Astrid said with a laugh. She then disappeared into the bedroom and eagerly began dressing herself in her riding garments, ready for an adventurous night with her husband.


	30. Perfect

**_Perfect_**

 ** _..._**

 ** _**_** **DO NOT READ IF YOU DON'T WANT SPOILERS ****

 **Finished Season 4 and it was freaking amazing. Best season yet. This is based on episode 11. I get the feeling that Hiccup wants all his "firsts" with Astrid to be perfect, so this is about him worrying that their wedding night didn't go perfectly. And judging by the last two episodes, if their honeymoon phase in dating is anywhere near as sweet/cuddly as their honeymoon phase after marriage...well, this kinda also deals with that. Also, I am working on my other story as well so I'll update as soon as I can:)**

 **Also, quick disclaimer: I've gotten several reviews from various people on both my stories stating that I'm not being accurate to Viking culture in my stories. I normally ignore stuff like that but it's happened so much that I'm kind of fed up with it, so I just want to announce that I don't try to be accurate. I'm already aware that 90% of this stuff isn't correct, but also, the HTTYD universe doesn't have 100% pure Viking culture, either, so I'm just having fun making cute Hiccstrid stories.**

 **...**

Hiccup wrapped his arms around Astrid's bare waist from behind and pressed a kiss into her hair. The newlyweds had hardly left their bed since the morning gift ceremony the previous day. Instead, they'd spent almost the entire time since then naked beneath the furs, alternating between sleeping, cuddling, and trying to figure out sex.

Twisting around, Astrid placed a hand on her husband's chest and looked up at him with a gaze that was full of love.

"You okay?" Hiccup asked, taking her hand in his and lacing their fingers together.

The blonde nodded. "Why wouldn't I be?"

"I just...I just thought that since you bled, and you said it hurt -"

"I don't think it's supposed to be comfortable at first, babe. Isn't that why we have a honeymoon, so we can figure things out?"

Hiccup's eyes darted to their hands. Astrid's wedding ring was glistening on her finger. She'd never been one to wear jewelry, so seeing it was strange, yet satisfying. He would've looked at his own, too, if he didn't still have his left arm around his wife, and wasn't rubbing small circles on the soft skin of her hip. That ring signified that they were bound together until one of them was called into Valhalla. But as wonderful as that was, he was worried. Worried that he wouldn't be a good enough husband for Astrid. After all, he couldn't even make her feel anything but pain when he tried to be intimate with her. If he couldn't even give her good sex, how in Thor's name was he supposed to be a good husband? Wasn't intimacy a big part of marriage?

Every time he'd imagined their first time, it had been perfect. In fact, he'd been preparing for it since they got engaged. He'd even gone to Snotlout and asked him for some tips, as he knew he and Heather had started having sex only three months into their relationship (waiting until marriage wasn't really a thing in the Jorgensen family). Snotlout had been more than happy to brag to him about his "accomplishments" with his girlfriend. Admittedly, he'd given out a lot more information than Hiccup was hoping for, but, omitting a few disturbing details, his advice was helpful.

The young chief had carefully thought out the scene many times, and everything had gone wonderfully in his head. But what he didn't realize was that even just looking at each other naked for the first time would be awkward. He'd suddenly become concerned about all his scars, especially on his left leg, and poor Astrid had blushed and covered herself with her arms when he'd undone her breast bindings. After they'd gotten somewhat through that awkwardness, they'd both been shyer about touching each other than he'd imagined. And then, worst of all, when he'd tried to enter her, she'd bled, and although she hadn't say anything at first, the look on her face had told him she was in pain. The next morning, she'd admitted that she still felt a burning sensation between her thighs, although she insisted it wasn't his fault. This initial pain didn't make their second and third times much better, although they had been more enjoyable than the first.

"I...I just wanted our first time to be perfect," Hiccup eventually said.

"You need to stop stressing yourself out over trying to make everything perfect," Astrid told him. "Remember how long you waited to kiss me? I mean, I think it's really sweet that you care so much, but some things just aren't going to be perfect right away." She brushed her husband's hair out of his eyes and cuddled in closer to him.

Hiccup smiled at her actions.

"I...I was worried about our wedding night, too," Astrid began. "So I talked to your mom about it last week." Since Valka's return to Berk, she and Astrid had grown as close as a mother and daughter. "And you probably don't want to hear this, but she said that it took her and your dad a few weeks to figure everything out."

"Yeah, I could've done without that image," the young chief admitted with a laugh.

"I know, but I just want you to realize that we'll get there eventually."

"But Snotlout never told me -"

"Wait, you talked to _Snotlout_ about this?" Astrid raised an eyebrow.

"I didn't know who else to go to!"

"Hiccup, we both know Snotlout exaggerates, leaves out details, and tries to make it sound like he's never failed at anything in his life. I highly doubt that he and Heather had a perfect first time."

"Okay, you're probably right. But still, Ast, I wanted it to be perfect for us. For...for _you_."

"You've already made things perfect just by marrying me," the blonde insisted. She freed her hand from her husband's and, wrapping her arms around him, rested her head on his chest.

Smiling, Hiccup hugged her waist and leaned down to kiss her lips.

"Mmm." Astrid drew one of her legs over his. Before she knew it, they were hopelessly entangled in a deep snuggle, warm skin against warm skin. He was dropping occasional kisses onto her face, and the way he rubbed her back relaxed her so much that her eyelids began to grow heavy.

Hiccup let out a contented sigh as he watched his wife doze off in his arms. She was right. Everything _was_ perfect. Perfect because they were married, bound together until they were called into the depths of Valhalla. He could now fall asleep at night without worrying that she'd gotten home safely because she now slept beside him. He could now look forward to coming home to her after a long day of chiefing (although, more often than not, she'd probably be out there helping him, which was even better than coming home to her). And, awkward as it was right now, he was now free to show her love in the most intimate way possible. But again, she was right. They _would_ get better at it.

After all, they had the rest of their lives to figure it out.


	31. Welcome Home

**_Welcome Home_**

 ** _..._**

 **Hey, so just wanted to let you guys know I have a tumblr now. My account is crazy4dragons. I post drabbles there sometimes that I feel are too short for this site. This piece is inspired by a tumblr post about what Dreamworks should show us if they were to do a wedding short, and one thing was that Hiccup should show Astrid the renovations he made to his house. Enjoy!**

 **...**

"Can I take the blindfold off yet?" Astrid asked. For the past month, Hiccup hadn't let her in his house with the excuse that he was making surprise renovations that she could only see after the wedding. Now, the wedding was over, and here she was, being led blindfolded to her new home.

"We're almost inside," Hiccup assured. "Just a few more steps, and -" He flung open the door with one hand and pulled Astrid's blindfold off with the other. "Welcome home, Mrs. Haddock."

The blonde's eyes widened at the sight before her. Hiccup's living room - no, _their_ living room - looked notably different from the time she'd last seen it. Stoick's chair remained in its place, but it was now joined by a couch and a footrest. A drawing of Hiccup, Astrid, and their dragons was hung above the fireplace.

"And if you turn around, you'll see that I've installed hooks by the door."

Astrid looked where her husband was gesturing.

"One is for your axe, and the other is for your sword," explained Hiccup. "Or whatever weapons you want to put there. And if you see here, I've put a lock on the door."

"Oh, thank Thor. The last thing I wanted was for the whole village to be bursting in here all the time," Astrid said. She drew her axe from the belt of her bridal dress and placed it on one of the hooks. "And the hooks were a great idea, too. You know, in case I need to fight off some intruders."

The young chief laughed before signaling for his wife to follow him to the next room. "And here is our kitchen. I equipped it with a fire control system." He walked over to the fireplace and gestured to two buckets of water hanging from a string. "If the fire ever gets out of hand while we're cooking, you just pull the string and it will be extinguished." He then moved to the cabinets, which he'd just built the previous week. "And here is where I have our pots, pans, plates, bowls...well, you get the idea. And right next to all this is the ice box." He opened the lid to reveal plenty of mutton, chicken, and lamb. "As you can see, I stocked up on some things."

"This is great! I'm impressed, babe." Astrid squeezed her husband's hand.

"Oh, it keeps getting better." With that, Hiccup led her to the washroom. "We have a washtub, so you don't have to worry about finding hidden places to bathe anymore."

"My gods, that tub is huge!" exclaimed the blonde. "You didn't have to -"

"It wasn't me. This was here since I was born. My dad made it, and you know, he was a lot larger than us." Hiccup walked over to a set of shelves. "And here's towels, soap, bubble bath, fragrance, and rose petals."

"You use rose petals in the bath?"

"No, I got them for you, milady."

Astrid smiled.

"And now to keep moving." Next, Hiccup took Astrid into a bedroom. "This is the dragons' room. As you can see, I moved Toothless' bed in here, I made a second bed for Stormfly, and I've installed a feeding station. And look." He walked to the back of the room and opened a door - again, one with a lock - to reveal the backyard. "For our convenience," he explained.

"Hiccup, this is too much," Astrid insisted.

"No, it's nothing," the young chief insisted. "Come on, let's go see the other downstairs bedroom." He led Astrid into a room that was empty except for a dresser and a bed. "If we have kids, they can sleep in here. I didn't do much with it yet because I want your input when the time comes." Taking her hand, he walked her up the stairs. "But I did finish furnishing our room."

"Oh my gods." Astrid took a moment just to stare at the room. Not only had Hiccup gotten a bigger bed, he'd also acquired a mattress. Additionally, he'd created a whole wall for her weapons, saddles, and other riding gear, while keeping another wall for his various metal legs, Toothless' assortment of tails, and his flaming sword.

"You like it?" asked Hiccup. "I know neither of us mind sleeping on wood, but I figured that we'd um...that it would be best to get a mattress because we'll erm...we'll be doing more than just sleeping now." He rubbed the back of his neck before changing the subject. "And this wall is yours. You can do whatever you like with it." He gestured to Astrid's wall before walking over to two dressers. "We each have our own dresser, too. I even carved our names into them. And in between them, I have a curtain in case you want privacy to change. I mean, if you're comfortable changing in the open, I don't have a problem with it, but I just want you to know that you don't have to if you're not okay with it."

A light blush covered Astrid's cheeks.

"And I put drawers in our nightstands," continued Hiccup, making his way back over to the wall with the bed. "Your drawer has a couple extra blankets, since I know you're always getting cold," he explained before plopping onto the mattress and announcing he was finished with the house tour.

Astrid ran to her husband and kissed him. "You know, you never fail to surprise me, babe," she remarked, running her fingers through his auburn hair.

"Well then, milady," Hiccup began. "It looks like you have a whole lifetime of surprises ahead of you."


	32. A Little Family

_**A Little Family**_

 _ **...**_

Astrid's eyes cracked open at the sound of a newborn's cries. At first, she thought she was hallucinating. Then, she wondered what muttonhead had brought their screaming baby outside in the middle of the night. It took a gentle nudge from her husband to bring her into reality, to realize that the cries were coming from her own child.

As the blonde stood up, Hiccup's tunic falling off her shoulder, she first became aware that she needed to change her rags. She then felt a sharp pain between her stiff legs. It was all coming back to her. Eight hours of labor and four stitches in a place she didn't even know stitches could exist, followed by heavy bleeding and fatigue.

But she'd worry about herself later. Walking over to the cradle, the wooden floor cold on her bare feet, she could see her son's face in the moonlight. Little Stoick Haddock II. She smiled at the sight of him, and suddenly forgot her pain. Carefully lifting his fragile body into her arms, she unsuccessfully shushed him as she made her way to the rocking chair Gobber had made for her and Hiccup.

"Hey, it's okay. Mama's here." Astrid struggled to undo the drawstrings on the tunic with one hand while supporting the baby's head with the other. Eventually, the garment fell to her stomach, allowing her to cradle the newborn against her breast.

Baby Stoick struggled to latch onto a nipple, and, with his mother's help, finally managed to begin suckling, his wails dying down as he did so.

"Well, look at my family."

Astrid lifted her eyes to see Hiccup standing shirtless in front of her, a candle in one hand and a blanket in the other. Nudging the blonde over, he squeezed onto the rocker beside her and tucked the furs around them.

"You okay, Ast?" he asked, watching as she massaged the baby's tiny feet.

"I think he needs socks. His little toes are freezing," she murmured, half to herself.

In an instant, Hiccup was out of the chair and scrambling to find the socks Valka had knitted for her grandson. Upon catching sight of the desired items, he grabbed them and hurried back to Astrid.

"Thanks, babe." Astrid slipped the socks onto Stoick's feet. Once finished, she leaned against her husband's shoulder, enjoying the feeling of his warm, bare shoulder on her chilly face.

It wasn't long before the newborn was finished eating. Hiccup offered to take him so his wife could re-fasten the tunic, and continued to hold him while she went to the outhouse to clean herself up.

Grinning, Hiccup gently kissed his son's head. He felt sorry for Astrid, but at the same time, was tremendously relieved that she'd been the one to give birth and not him. People often wondered who was stronger, and as much as he wanted to sound like a "real" man, he had to let Astrid win on that one. He'd seen her hide how uncomfortable she was when she bled each month, then heard her get sick every morning for the first trimester of her pregnancy. He'd noticed her become stiffer as she'd gotten larger, and witnessed her pain while giving life to his child. _Their_ child.

Yes, Astrid was definitely stronger than him.

Stoick began to fuss. Hiccup guessed he needed a diaper change, and he was right. After struggling to clean him up and pin a new diaper onto him, the Chief cautiously lifted him and carried him to the bed. Lying down, he placed the baby on his chest.

Astrid returned to the sound of her husband's soft snoring, mixed with the quiet breathing of her son. Holding up the candle, she admired the sight before her for a few minutes before taking Stoick and placing him back in his cradle. As cute as the scene had been, she was scared Hiccup would drop the little one in his sleep.

Once she kissed the newborn and tucked him in, Astrid crawled into bed beside Hiccup. Pressing her lips to his shoulder, she spooned him from behind, nuzzled into his neck, and let out a sigh before drifting into slumber.

It wouldn't be long before she'd be awoken by Baby Stoick's cries again.


	33. Snow Day (K rated version)

_**Snow Day**_

 _ **...**_

 **In response to requests for a winter fic:)**

 **...**

"Bet you can't catch me, Dad!" eight-year-old Stoick shouted as he sprinted across the yard.

"Me, neither!" echoed seven-year-old Finn, following his brother.

Astrid smiled at the sight of her husband running around in the snow with their sons, little Ingrid somersaulting amongst them. She'd just taught her daughter how to tumble, and the nearly-five-year-old girl couldn't get enough of it.

"Mama, come play with us!" Finn insisted, rushing over to his mother and tugging on her hand.

"Maybe later. Go back to Daddy." Astrid nonchalantly took a step back and reached behind a nearby bush. As Finn hurried back to Hiccup, she grabbed a few snowballs and started tossing them at his back.

"Mama!" exclaimed Finn, wheeling around and quickly creating a snowball of his own to throw back.

Suddenly, Stoick appeared beside his brother. "Hey, I wanna play!" He rubbed his icy hands together. "Let's do me, you, and Ingrid against Mom and Dad."

"What do you think, Haddock?" Astrid called to Hiccup, who was playfully tossing his giggling daughter into a pile of snow.

"Think about what?" the Chief asked, scooping Ingrid into his arms and making his way over to Astrid.

"Snowball fight. Us against the kids."

"It's on," Hiccup said. Grabbing a fallen tree branch, he wandered to the middle of the yard and drew a line in the snow. "Alright, milady. Come over on this side of the line with me. Munchkins, stay over there."

"We're gonna kick your butts!" Stoick shouted as Astrid hurried to join her husband.

Before anyone knew it, snowballs were flying through the air. Two hit Hiccup in the face. Another hit Ingrid's knee. Yet another exploded on Astrid's shoulder. Stoick's hair was full of ice, and Finn soon found himself hit in the stomach.

"One more minute!" Hiccup eventually shouted. So far, the kids were winning. The Chief and General might have been experienced, but the children's small size gave them an advantage.

"Sixty! Fifty-nine! Fifty-eight!" Stoick called out as he quickly balled up more snow and threw it at Astrid.

Soon, the minute was up, and Hiccup and Astrid found themselves being knocked onto the ground by the overenthusiastic kids, who had won the snowball fight.

"We beat you!" Finn exclaimed, his blue eyes bright with excitement.

"Daddy, we beat you!" Ingrid said, tackling Hiccup.

"Alright, munchkins. I think it's about time for us to go inside and get warmed up." Hiccup stood up, taking his daughter into his arms as he did so.

"But Daddy, I'm not cold," the little girl insisted, despite her shivering. "I want to stay outside and go sledding on Toothless."

"Toothless is tired. You kids went dragon sledding too much earlier."

"Do me and Finn have to go inside, too?" Stoick asked.

Astrid nodded. "Yes, you do. We're all going in the house."

Despite the children's protests, Hiccup and Astrid managed to get their family indoors, where they were greeted by a sleepy a Night Fury.

"Mama, I wanna put on my pajamas," said Ingrid. "Can you help me?"

"Of course. Let's go to your room." Astrid took the child from Hiccup and carried her into her bedroom. The boys, who were old enough to change without help, went into theirs, and Hiccup to his. Once Ingrid was dry and dressed in her nightgown, leggings, and socks, Astrid went to her room and changed her own clothes. By the time she was finished, and had gathered a pile of furs, Hiccup and the kids were already making a pot of hot cocoa.

"Mama, we're gonna have hot cocoa!" Finn exclaimed, rushing out of the kitchen.

"So I see." Smiling, Astrid tossed the blankets on the wooden couch, then added another log to the fire before joining her family.

After the hot cocoa was made and enjoyed, the Haddocks all gathered on the couch and snuggled beneath the furs, Hiccup wrapping one arm around Astrid's waist and the other around Ingrid, who had crawled into his lap. Having missed her afternoon nap, she soon fell asleep on his chest. Finn settled onto Astrid's lap, and Stoick, after some protest about not having a lap to sit on, cuddled against his mother's side and stared out the window, watching as snow began to fall again.

Snow days were the Haddocks' favorite kind of days.


	34. A Little Chat

_**A Little Chat**_

 _ **...**_

 **Just a short fanfic about Hiccstrid in my Modern College AU world. Rated PG-13 for some mildly dirty talk, but overall it's just mindless fluff. Also posted on Tumblr.**

 **...**

"Aren't you late for work?" Hiccup asked as he glanced down at Astrid, who was contentedly snuggled against his side, her limbs tangled with his.

The blonde shook her head. "I called out. You didn't think I would spend our last day together working, did you?"

"Well, you need the money," shrugged Hiccup. "And besides, we'll only be apart for three weeks."

"I know, but three weeks by myself?"

"You could ask to stay with Ruffnut and Heather. I'm sure they'd let you crash at their dorm."

"Yeah, but someone has to stay with the cats. And besides, I don't wanna have to haul all my stuff over to campus."

"Are you sure you'll be okay?"

"I'll be fine, babe. I mean, I'll miss you, but that shouldn't stop you from studying abroad. You're supposed to be taking these kinds of opportunities in college. And like you said, it's only three weeks." Hiccup had been accepted into a four-week study abroad program based in Scotland. During that time, he'd be finishing research papers for his NYU classes, as well as taking a hands-on course in Norse culture, where he'd have the chance to tour sites of the Vikings.

"But I'm not just a college kid anymore. I'm married, and I'm pretty sure marriage is a bigger responsibility than college."

Astrid sighed. "Sometimes I feel like we should've waited."

"Why do you say that, milady?"

"Well, I think like I'm holding you back sometimes. Like when Fishlegs and Snotlout ask you to go out for a drink with them and you say no because you feel obligated to spend time with me."

"I don't feel obligated to spend time with you. I _want_ to. Drinking isn't even my thing. You know that."

"Yeah, but I still feel bad."

"And what would've been the use in waiting to get married? I mean, we still could've moved in together, but we wouldn't have had a joint bank account, and we probably wouldn't have been able to share all our bills. It's economically better. And we don't have to worry about boundaries." Hiccup and Astrid had decided to wait until marriage to be intimate with each other. Astrid hadn't been as firm on the decision as Hiccup, who was convinced that he'd be disrespecting her if they went all the way before the wedding, but she'd felt inclined to wait, too.

The blonde laughed. "Well, I sure like the no boundaries thing," she said, placing a hand on her husband's bare chest. "By the way, are you packed?"

"Somewhat. But I have the whole day to finish, so I'm not too busy." He hugged Astrid close and pressed a sloppy kiss onto her lightly freckled cheek.

"Don't slobber on my face," Astrid teasingly scolded.

"Hey, I've slobbered on more than just your face before, milady," Hiccup pointed out, kissing the blonde a second time before nuzzling into her hair and using his thumb to rub gentle circles against the soft skin of her hip.

Yawning, Astrid closed her eyes. She knew they should probably get out of bed and start making breakfast. And even if they decided to skip breakfast, she at least needed to shower, and Hiccup probably needed a shower, too. However, at the moment, she was perfectly happy with cuddling up to her husband and doing nothing.

"You know, I'm really gonna miss this while I'm gone," said Hiccup. "I mean, I don't think we've spent a night apart since before we got married."

"Yeah," Astrid sighed. "But you'll have fun. Fishlegs is going with you. And Berk is right there. You can go hang out with your parents. I know your mom's planning something for your dad's birthday."

"How do you know?"

"I've been texting her." Ever since they met, Astrid and Valka had gotten along remarkably well, and they'd only gotten closer when Astrid officially became part of the family. In fact, the blonde got along better with Valka than she did with her own mother, who not only disliked Hiccup and his parents, but was also clearly disappointed about Astrid marrying before she finished school.

Hiccup laughed. "I think you talk to my mom more than I do."

"That sounds about right." Astrid rolled over and grabbed her phone from the bedside table. "Speaking of your mom, I gotta see if she can pick me up from the airport when I get back to Berk."

"And while you do that, I'll just look at your butt." Hiccup's eyes wandered down his wife's bare back until they finally rested on her butt, which was half-covered by blankets.

"What?" Laughing, Astrid shook her head.

"Hey, I'm not gonna be able to look at that butt for three weeks."

"Don't worry, I'll send you nudes."

Hiccup laughed. "I can't picture you sending nudes."

"Well, I had no reason to yet because we haven't been apart for more than a day. I mean, why would I send pics when I can give you a live show?" The blonde set her phone down and turned back to her husband.

"And let me guess, the live show is you streaking down the hall because you realize you left your towel in here after you get out of the shower?"

"No, that's just me feeling too comfortable in my own skin in front of you." Astrid faced away from Hiccup again and slid against him, prompting him to spoon her.

"And with a body like that, you have every right to be." Smirking, Hiccup pressed a sloppy kiss onto his wife's shoulder.

"Oh, stop. I'm not that hot. I haven't even shaved my legs in a week."

"Like I care." He tightened his hold on her. "You're still Astrid, and I still love you. And I'm gonna miss you when I'm gone."

"I'll miss you more, babe."

Hiccup laughed. "I doubt that. And don't forget - you promised to send me nudes."


End file.
